My Fallen Angel
by MsRosalieRiddle
Summary: Devastated by certain casualties of the war, Hermione Granger is suddenly faced with the ultimate challenge of her life. Mysteriously thrown back in time, Hermione comes face to face with the dark and handsome Tom Riddle. Consumed with hatred, Hermione uses her anger to fuel the one mission she yearns to accomplish: make Tom Riddle pay.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Darkness consumed every last bit of her vision. Her mind was working incessantly, desperately trying to grasp any lucid indication as to where she was. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't salvage one single memory that could help decipher what had happened. Her mind was still in shock, trying to recover from the abuse it had received.

Hermione Granger fought to drive the darkness down, her eyes fluttering open to finally take in her surroundings. In front of her looked like a stone wall, about to give way with the slightest brush of the hand. The wall was slick with what looked like water, dripping from the corners of the stones. The floor was made up of what looked like dirt, but from the way her body was shivering violently among the points of contact, the logical part of her brain reasoned that she was somewhere underground.

Hermione experimentally stirred her fingers one by one, lifting them to help regain feeling in her right hand. Seeing as she could move her fingers, Hermione became confident that she could move entirely, and made the mistake of bending her right arm to lift herself up off of the floor. It was like every single one of her nerves were being tortured a hundred times over and over again, screaming to be released of the ceaseless pain. The pain traveled up her arm to the center of her body, spreading to all of her muscles. Hermione clenched her teeth, her throat holding back the scream that was begging to be let out. She dropped back down to the floor, her whole body now reciprocating the pain from her arm.

"_What happened to me?" _she thought, trying again to lift herself up off of the floor, painfully, but successfully sitting herself against the wall.

The pain took its time to subside, and Hermione finally took in the rest of her surroundings. She stared in front of her, examining the metal bars that trapped her inside. She was slightly shocked to realize she was in a cell, and was angry with herself for not realizing this little detail sooner, as her back was facing the bars when she woke up. _"I need to be more careful. I can't be anything less than alert if I want to make it out of here alive." _

Hermione looked to her left, noticing that instead of a stone wall, there were another set of metal bars. She noticed something on the other side. It looked like hair, tousled and dark, illuminated from the moonlight that shined through the little window above. Hermione braced herself to move, painfully dragging herself to where the strange object lay. Holding the metal bars for support, she froze.

Dark tousled hair, glasses askew, and glassy green eyes staring at the ceiling, Harry Potter lay as cold as the ground she woke up on. As she looked closer, she noticed that his ribcage was peeking out, rats happily feasting on the plentiful flesh in front of them. His wand laid beside him, broken, the phoenix feather limp with his own blood. Hermione made a gurgling sound, mouth open, horrified at the gruesome scene that was her best friend. She backed away, ignoring her body's protests against being pushed so far. She stumbled back, catching herself on the wall, feeling the slick wetness of the water that dripped down it. She sat against the wall again, looking away from her best friend. Wiping the water off of her hands onto her jeans, she noticed that her jeans were now stained red.

"_What the hell?" _she thought, looking at her hands which were also stained red. Hermione froze again, all emotion wiped from her face as she slowly turned her head to look at the back of her shirt. From what she could manage through the pain, she used the little moonlight coming through to examine the clear sheet of red that stained the entire back of her shirt. Realization had hit her like a brick. She had been leaning against the wall she had woken up in front of, nowhere else…

Tears forming in her eyes, her fears were begging not to be proved true as she slowly turned towards the wall. She shakily lifted a hand and touched the wall again, her hand coming back freshly stained red. Tears silently fell down her cheeks as she realized that the slickness of the wall had not been water…. It had been blood.

Hermione's logical part of her brain reasoned that the blood was dripping down the wall. It had to be coming from somewhere….

Hermione slowly lifted her eyes, tears falling more heavily, but still silently down her cheeks. Her eyes finally met the ceiling, and what she found was even more horrifying than anything she could ever imagine.

Ron Weasley was lying flat on the ceiling, as if a spell had made him that way. His body looked like it had been ripped open, the blood clotting every piece of his clothing, making it hard to decipher cloth from skin. His face was formed into a mocking smile, the one you would see on an evil clown in a horror movie. A few of his teeth were missing, and his eyes looked white, as if there was a clear, transparent film covering them.

Before Hermione had time to react, Ron's head slowly detached from his body, falling from the ceiling and landing in front of Hermione. His head looked like a spell had hit him almost cleanly through the neck. The only thing that was keeping it attached was a flab of skin, looking as if it had been a part of Ron's neck at some point. Hermione let out a broken shriek, sobbing with all her might as she took in the two gruesome scenes in front of her.

Both of her best friends were dead. Murdered, by the one man who called himself the Dark Lord. She was overwhelmed at the gruesome methods he used to gain control over the Wizarding world. She curled up into a ball, again ignoring the pain in her body and sobbing her eyes to the point where they were red and sore. Thinking of the ways her best friends had died, she wondered why the Dark Lord would leave her, the most famous Mudblood in the Wizarding world, alive. What would he want with her? She was as useless to him as Harry and Ron apparently were, nothing special here. Hermione concluded that she had to get out of here… no, NEEDED to get out of here.

Hermione crawled over to the front metal bars, looking for some kind of lock. Luckily, a simple but large metal lock held the bars together. Hermione knew that the Dark Lord would never have used one of these, it had to be one of his dimwit followers. She reached through the bars, shaking the lock with all her might, but to no avail.

Hermione remembered her wand, and searched desperately around for it. She looked all over her cell, and finally spotted a long piece of wood in the corner of the space. Yes, the Dark Lord definitely has not been down here, seeing as her wand is in plain sight and easy to reach. She crawled slowly over to it, realizing that it was lying right next to Ron's severed head. She whimpered as she reached over Ron's mocking smile to recover her wand. As she crawled over to the lock, she whispered a simple "_Alohomora" _and the lock clicked open.

"_These guys are idiots." _she thought, but soon froze. Like usual, her brain was working in overdrive. Why would they make it so easy for her to leave? Surely Voldemort's followers aren't THAT stupid to make it as easy as an "Alohomora" to get out? She was alert as a hawk as she slowly and quietly pushed open the metal door. As she walked out, she noticed a ray of light coming from the right side of the cell. Knowing it was a trap, Hermione started the other way, towards the darkness.

She trudged her way up a flight of stairs, being careful not to illuminate her wand; the light might attract attention. The moonlight was still making the hallway visible, and her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness. Every corner she turned, she gripped her wand like a lifeline, her palms dripping with sweat. "_There has to be a way out of here. There can't just be one entrance. There's always a second route, just in case they need a quick escape."_

She turned another corner, when she heard two voices coming from behind her, echoing through the emptiness of the halls. They seemed far away, but she still was on high alert, her fight response cranked to eleven.

"_Let's see if the Mudblood has woken up yet." _That voice… it was masculine, but way too deep to be human. Her best guess was Fenrir Greyback, one of Voldemort's most fierce followers.

She heard their footsteps come to a halt, and Hermione was ready to dart when need be.

"_Hmmm… seems like our guest has escaped. Oh, what shall we do? Where, oh where can she be?" _That mocking voice was no doubt Bellatrix Lestrange's. She had heard that voice too many times when being tortured. Bellatrix loved to play with her little "pet Mudblood." Hermione also realized that she was right, the lock was a trap. Bellatrix loved to play games, and "catch the Mudblood" was probably her most exciting fixture yet.

Hermione froze for a millisecond; the hallway had become dead quiet. No footsteps, no nothing. She couldn't even hear them breathing. Her heartbeat pounding at a million miles per second, she dared to peek behind the corner of the wall she was hiding behind.

Fenrir had been waiting for her, having smelled her intoxicating scent. The mixture of vanilla and blood was the sweetest smell he had ever encountered. He wanted to know the feeling of her luscious body being crushed by his very own mouth. He smelled her so close, probably just around the corner. He waited, watching as she peeked her little head around from behind the wall she was hiding.

_"Boo," _he whispered.

Hermione screamed, pulling back just in time as Fenrir lunged at her. She darted as best as she could down the hallway, picking up a large sharp rock along the way. Fenrir wasn't far behind, but there was some distance between them. Hermione used the time and looked around, noticing a small opening in the wall that looked like a perfect hiding spot. She looked around for anything that could help boost her up, and found large crate boxes that she summoned in front of her, climbing up quickly as she heard Fenrir coming closer. Fenrir, enraged at her for getting away, was too overcome by his anger and the thrill of the hunt that he didn't notice her hiding in the little space right above his head. Hermione, gripping the sharp rock in hand, jumped out of the opening onto Fenrir's back, driving it like a knife right into the middle of his neck, where his spine would be.

_"Thank you Merlin, for making this rock sharp enough," _Hermione prayed.

Fenrir howled in excruciating pain. He clawed at Hermione on his back, narrowly missing her arm. She drove the rock deeper into his spine, finally hearing a snap as the bone disconnected. Fenrir was paralyzed, and Hermione used the opportunity to reach her arms around his head and slash his throat. Blood went everywhere, as Hermione jumped off his back and continued running down the hallway, looking back only to make sure she'd finished the job.

Gasping for breath, she ran down the narrow passageway. It kept getting narrower as she went, until finally she came to a dead end.

"_What? This can't be. There has to be an entrance somewhere." _As she frantically searched the walls for a passage, her foot caught on a nail in the floor. Hermione looked down, and noticed that the concrete wasn't even and was slightly cut. She bent down, examining the piece of concrete and noticed an opening to which she put her fingers through and lifted. The block was heavy, and she moved it just so her tiny body frame could fit through. She had lost a considerable amount of weight, so slipping through wasn't a problem. She stopped to listen if anyone else was coming, and when she confirmed that no one was even in the slightest distance of her, she continued through the hole. Ignoring the pain in her body, she fell onto the ladder, and slipped the concrete block back into place as best as she could. She climbed down the ladder, and turned around.

Hermione found herself in an underground sewer, the stench making her eyes water. She saw a light coming from ahead and rushed toward it, not thinking to look around the corner before passing the opening. A flash of red hit her in the side, throwing her against the sewer wall. A cackling laugh echoed throughout the passage, heading straight forward. Hermione's eyes widened in fear as Bellatrix strutted towards her.

"_DID YOU THINK YOU COULD HIDE FROM ME YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD?" _Bellatrix shrieked. "_Killing you will be so easy. But don't worry my dear, I'll make sure you live long enough to_ _feel the pain you get for mocking the Dark Lord." _

"_Sounds like you have a little crush. Careful Bella, you don't even know if he has a penis, and we ALL know that that is a MUST." _Hermione countered back. Bellatrix's face contorted into rage.

_"SHUT UP MUDBLOOD! You know nothing of what I have with the Dark Lord. He is the one who will bring us all to a new era, a new beginning! This world will finally be purified, rid of the filthy scum that walk the Earth. All the power, all the riches I could ever want! Hmm.. maybe I'll ask the Dark Lord to let me keep you. I want you to watch as the stars shake in my presence and the world bleeding in front of my triumphs!"_

_ "And what would you consider your triumphs, Bella? You talk as if the Dark Lord will fall one day, and all the power will be transferred to you. Are you the one who will bring him down?"_

Bellatrix smirked down at Hermione, twirling her wand in her hands._ "You're smart, mudblood. The Dark Lord's ideas will help purify this world, but he is weak. I will be the one to... help him with his quest. If that means getting rid of him, so be it!" _Bellatrix yelled.

"_You think I'm weak? Hm, is that so?" _came the coldest voice she'd ever heard.

Bellatrix whirled around, eyes wide with horror. "_My Lord... I didn't realize you were there..." _stuttered Bellatrix.

_"Tsk, tsk. I'm going to teach you Bella what happens when you question my authority and ability to rule this world." _

At that moment, Bellatrix whirled toward Hermione, the most furious look planted on her face.

"_YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD WHORE! SECTUMSEMPRA! BOMBARDA MAXIMA! CONFRINGO!"_

Hermione frantically ducked each spell Bellatrix threw her way, throwing a few jinxes herself. Hermione was thrown to her right when the Confringo spell hit the wall behind her, exploding into a million pieces. She groggily looked up at Bellatrix, blood dripping into her eyes. Just as Bellatrix was about to throw the Avada Kedavra curse at her, Voldemort stepped in, sending a crucio Bella's way. Bella dropped her wand, and screamed. Hermione's eyes went wide as she realized that at the same time as the crucio, Bella's stomach was slowly splitting open, one of her organs falling out.

Hermione looked away, not bearing to watch Bellatrix's slow death. At the turn of her head, she noticed a gold necklace five feet from her. She looked back at Voldemort, but he was too consumed with making Bella pay that he didn't notice her slip the necklace over her head and under her shirt. Hermione held on to the time turner for life, and continued watching as Bellatrix was turned inside out. Bella was thrown on the ground, gasping for breath, for life. She looked at Hermione, shakily grabbed her wand, and threw a spell at her that Hermione didn't recognize.

Hermione was thrown into the sewer wall, her head aching with the contact. What caught her attention, though, was the fact that there was now a burning sensation on her chest. She looked down and saw that the time turner had broken, the sand burning blue and hot.

Voldemort looked at Bella as she cackled. He threw a killing curse at her, and rushed toward Hermione as she was fading away.

"_NO!" _screamed Voldemort, as Hermione finally faded completely away, and was drawn into darkness once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Darkness once again consumed her. She felt as if her mind was drowning and her body was flying. She welcomed it, basking in the glory of her troubles being lifted from her shoulders even for just a few short moments. Hermione fluttered her eyelids open, ready to see the beautiful and charismatic atmosphere that was giving her this high. As her consciousness came closer, she became colder. It was as if her senses were being brutally woken up. A gust of fresh, crisp air caused a violent shiver to rupture through her body. She gasped, surprised at how deprived her lungs were of oxygen.

Through blurry vision, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She noticed the dark night sky hovering above her, the stars twinkling like they didn't just watch a war erupt down below them. Realization hit her, as she noticed that she wasn't flying. In fact, she was being carried. Panic spiraled through her, making her brain go into overdrive.

Peeking through her eyelashes, she looked up at the person carrying her. She was shocked to find him already looking at her and even more shocked to realize how familiar those twinkling blue eyes were. They were filled with concern and a look of urgency that became all too familiar to her ever since the war started.

"_Albus?" _she whispered. He didn't seem to hear her, as his attention was turned away from her by another source. She took this opportunity to examine him further. His beard wasn't white, which confused her. It was more of an auburn color, and the many creases his face once possessed seemed to be nonexistent. He looked… younger, which perplexed her even more seeing as how he was supposed to be dead.

"_Reidner! Scope the forest, we need to know there's none of his followers lurking around the perimeter. Grindelwald can be very unpredictable," _Dumbledore shouted to a man in the distance.

"_Grindelwald? He can't be serious," _Hermione thought. She racked her brain trying to remember the many books she read about wizarding history. Grindelwald was the major dark wizard before Voldemort, and if she remembered correctly, Dumbledore was the one to defeat him almost fifty years ago.

This didn't make any sense. Why were they speaking of Grindelwald? And why was Dumbledore holding her when she KNEW that he was killed; she had been to his funeral. Did he fake his death? What was going on here? The more Hermione thought about how everything didn't match up, a wave a nausea would hit her. The movement of Dumbledore carrying her didn't sit well with her stomach. She tried her best to hold the contents of her stomach in, as she fell into darkness once more.

* * *

The next time Hermione woke up, she noticed that she was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Everything was dark, and another person was sleeping in a bed on the other side of the room. "_What the bloody hell is going on?" _she thought, as she recalled the hospital wing being destroyed in the final battle. But instead of rubble and ruins, the wing looked as good as new. She didn't have time to ponder this fact for long, as she heard voices coming from outside the door, heading for the hospital wing.

"_The reports were clear Albus, Grindelwald has moved his men closer to Hogwarts. Three bodies were found mutilated at three different, but equally distanced locations from the perimeter of this school!" _Hermione turned her back towards them, pretending to be asleep while listening in on their conversation.

"_Armando, listen to me! Grindelwald can't get past these perimeters, the magic is impenetrable. If he wanted to really breach this school, he would have made it known by now. These murders are probably just coincidental. I know his ways. If he wanted something badly enough, he wouldn't beat around the bush. He would attack straight on. Besides, what would he want with a school full of students? He would have nothing to gain from killing any of these children, and you know that,"_ Dumbledore reasoned.

Hermione heard an exasperated sigh, which she guessed was the other man resigning to Dumbledore's words.

"_You're probably right. It just makes me uneasy to know that he's so close yet so far away. I can't wait to see him on the inside of a prison cell."_

"_Not to worry, Armando. Everything will be sorted soon enough," _Dumbledore replied.

"_What about the girl we found in the forest? Do you think she's one of them?"_

"_I highly doubt it. Her body was proven to be subjected to many dark, dark spells. It'll take Margaret all night to lift them. I plan on questioning her when she wakes, so we know her side of the story. But until then Armando, innocent until proven guilty," _Dumbledore stated.

There were so many questions running through Hermione's mind. She lifted her head, looking over her shoulder to watch the two men walking away and their voices diminishing with the distance. She was tired of not knowing what was going on. She silently slipped out of bed, her body protesting seeing as how she hadn't fully healed from her injuries.

Hermione tiptoed over to the door at the end of the wing, and opened it quietly, careful not to wake the other student. Inside she found what looked like an office, which was pristine and proper, not one little paper out of place. She thought it strange, seeing as how Madam Pomfrey's office was usually quite hassled. She rummaged through the documents, looking for something, ANYTHING that would give her a clue as to what was going on. She finally found something when she picked up a newspaper, and quickly looked at the date.

"_August 1st, 19….. 1942?" _Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. 1942? How the hell had she ended up in 1942? As her brain racked for anything that could explain this, everything hit her at once. The time turner that Bellatrix broke, the talk of Grindelwald, Dumbledore being alive, and Armando Dippet being the headmaster. She ended up in 1942 because the time turner broke! But she was still wondering how she was sent back so far. She was used to being sent back five minutes, not fifty years! Regardless, she was still relieved it all came together, and she was holding on to the fact that she proved to herself that she wasn't going crazy.

Hermione slipped out of the office and back to her bed, where she finally settled into shock at being in a place where no one knew her, not even Dumbledore. Sure, he was most likely an ally she could trust, but he wasn't the same Dumbledore she knew. He hadn't experienced the things she had while fighting in the war, not yet. She was completely alone in this time period. Suddenly, she froze when a certain thought came to mind. She thought back on the stories Dumbledore told her about the man who was responsible for the deaths of so many of her loved ones.

Tom Riddle was a student here at Hogwarts, long before he came into power. From what Dumbledore had told her, and from the date, Tom Riddle would be in his…. fifth year. She also remembered that back then, school started a month earlier. Starting tomorrow, students would be flooding into Hogwarts, including the young Dark Lord.

Hermione couldn't breathe. She didn't think she could face Voldemort without killing him right on the spot. No. She had to focus! Like she had said, no one knows her in this time period. And Tom Riddle is a student, he wouldn't be able to hurt her even if he wanted to. He wasn't Voldemort… yet. She had to hold on to that. She knew Dumbledore was going to question her tomorrow morning, and she already had her cover story formulated to perfection.

But the more Hermione Granger sat and thought about her two best friends lying mutilated in an underground cellar fifty years in the future, the more furious she became. Being in this time period was like a second chance. She WOULD change the future, and if that meant dealing with Riddle, so be it. Right then and there, she promised her two best friends that their deaths wouldn't be in vain. Tom Riddle WILL pay, she would make sure of it. She held on to that thought as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, she was woken up by a woman with gentle hands. "_Wake up, dear! It's almost noon, Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you. Come, come! Let's get you cleaned up." _

The woman, who she presumed was Margaret, gently helped her out of bed. "_The curses on you have fully been lifted. It took me all night, but I'm glad I got them off. I could tell they were hurting you. You poor thing, you must have been through so much. You don't have to worry anymore sweetheart, you're safe here." _

Hermione DID feel considerably better, and she smiled gratefully at the young mediwitch. Margaret helped her into the small bathroom, where she ran a bath for Hermione. As soon as the tub was full and warm, Margaret helped Hermione out of her blood stained clothes and into the bath. Hermione couldn't help but relax under the warm water's comfort. It had been so long since she had a proper bathing, and she was enjoying every single second of it.

When she was done, Margaret gently ordered her that once she was ready, she was to put on the clothes she left on the counter. Hermione dried herself off and walked over to the pile of clothes. She held up a fancy white lace short-sleeved shirt and a floral skirt. It was very… forties, and she strangely liked it. As she put on the clothes, she examined herself in the mirror. Something was very different about her. She looked… younger? But somehow MUCH prettier than she had been. I guess time travel did wonders on your beauty?

As she straightened herself up, she looked at her wet hair. Looking around for her wand, she found it lying next to where the clothes had been, and used it to make her hair fall into nice, sexy ringlets that went to the middle of her back. Her hair had grown, but given the war she hadn't had time to admire it. She walked back out to see Dumbledore waiting for her, his eyes gentle as always, but still different from the Dumbledore she knew. Dippet was also standing next to him, looking at Hermione with a speculative expression. Dumbledore motioned for her to sit on the bed.

"_You're looking much better. I was worried we were too late when we found you lying in the middle of the forest," _Dumbledore said. Hermione couldn't help but look at him with the softest expression. She was very fond of this man, and seeing him so concerned about her almost brought her to tears.

"_I thank you greatly for saving me, I didn't think I was going to make it either,"_ Hermione replied back.

"_You have no need to thank me my dear. To me, it's not a coincidence you ended up at Hogwarts. This school seems to draw in people in need, giving them shelter and protection. I want you to feel completely safe here, and know that no one can hurt you,"_ Dumbledore said. "_Except for one person," _Hermione thought.

"_I don't want you to feel like you're being interrogated or accused. I just have a few questions to ask you if you don't mind? We're just trying to figure out what happened to you. After all, you gave us quite a scare. May I ask what your name is?"_

Hermione went over this story a million times in her head the night before. But now that it was time to use it, and towards Dumbledore of all people, she couldn't help but feel guilty that she was lying to the man who was like a second father to her. "_Hermione. Hermione Evans," _she replied. She had chosen to take Lily Potter's maiden name, in honor of Harry. She would have taken Potter, but that probably wouldn't have gone well with the Potter of this time period.

"_Hermione… that's a very beautiful name. It suits you well, my dear. Now, tell me what happened before you got here," _Dumbledore replied.

"_Well… alright. I was at home with my family and my two best friends. We were celebrating a birthday and everyone was having a good time." _Hermione thought about the Weasleys, and how that night had changed their lives forever. _"It was an outdoor affair, and there was so much noise. We didn't notice them coming until it was too late." _Hermione held back tears. Her story wasn't a complete lie, that night had destroyed their happiness.

"_Everything was destroyed. Lots of people fought, but they lost. I was one of the people who fought, and so were my two best friends. My parents fought as well, but their numbers were greater than ours." _Hermione felt like her heart was exploding as she thought about the Weasleys. "_I watched as my parents fell, right in front of me. I was devastated, I wasn't focused enough. I kept trying to go to them, but my best friends were holding me back, telling me that we had to leave. I didn't listen. They stayed with me, never leaving my side, still trying to pull me back. It wasn't long after that one of Grindelwald's followers came up from behind us. He killed my two best friends, and he tried to kill me. I fought as hard as I could, but it wasn't good enough. He captured me and took me away. I was brought to a place where they tortured me endlessly for information, information I didn't have. I don't know how, but I managed to escape. A couple of his followers got into a brawl, and the distraction helped me with my escape. It wasn't long after they realized I was gone. They came after me, and one of them threw a spell at me that I didn't recognize. I blacked out, and next thing I remember was you carrying me," _Hermione finished. The tears were flowing down her cheeks as she looked down, ashamed. She might not have failed Harry and Ron in the way she was telling Dumbledore, but she had still failed them regardless.

Dumbledore cast his eyes downward, at a loss of what to say. To her surprise, Dippet was the one to speak.

"_Now you listen to me Ms. Evans. Their deaths were not your fault. I'll be damned if I let you walk around this school thinking that they lost their lives because of you." _He straightened up after saying this. "_Now, obviously, you'll stay in this school. What are you about a… fifth year? We'll have you sorted and put into classes. How does that sound?"_

Hermione smiled gratefully at him. _"That sounds wonderful, sir. Thank you…"_

Dippet automatically looked uncomfortable. "_Yes, well. I can't just throw you out now can I? Come to my office, we'll get you sorted."_ And with that, he walked out of the hospital wing, robes billowing like he was in charge, which technically, he was.

Dumbledore turned to me._ "I know what it's like to lose family and believe that if there was anything different you could have done, they would still be alive." _Hermione knew he was talking about Ariana, but she couldn't let him know that she knew that.

"_I don't want you feeling as if all of this was your fault, because carrying that around with you will destroy you. And something tells me that you've got a much bigger mission ahead of you that you need to focus on," _Dumbledore told her, peeking at her over his half moon spectacles, his blue eyes twinkling.

"_Does he know?!" _she thought frantically. No, he couldn't have. She pushed that thought aside as he motioned for her to follow him.

"_Shall we get you Sorted?" _he asked. Hermione smiled and followed him through the corridors of Hogwarts.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione took her time to admire the castle. Even though she'd lived there for the last seven years of her life, she felt like she was seeing it for the first time. She couldn't get used to the castle being so quiet and peaceful, when all she remembered was the once beautiful stone walls, crumbled into dust and rubble.

Dumbledore looked back at Hermione and smiled, watching her look around like a little girl in awe. His eyes lightened at the sight of tears forming in her eyes, assuming it was due to the fact that she hadn't been in such a safe place in a long time. He didn't rush her, allowing her to explore the different aspects of the castle.

When they arrived at Dippet's office, Dumbledore whispered the password and the stone eagle began to wind, revealing a staircase. Dumbledore motioned for Hermione to step on first, and then followed her. The staircase winded up until they were facing a door. Dumbledore stepped off and knocked on the door three times.

"_Yes, come in," _Dippet boomed impatiently. As soon as he saw who stepped through the door, his eyes lit with recognition. "_Ah, yes. Ms. Evans! Are you ready to get Sorted? Now, there are four houses that students may get sorted in. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The Sorting hat will be placed on your head, and he will determine which house you best fit in based on your personality and traits. Are you ready my dear?"_

Hermione nodded, for once genuinely curious as to which House she would be placed in. This wasn't like her first year in the future, where she was certain she would be placed in Gryffindor. No, she had no clue who she was anymore. The war had changed her, not just physically but mentally too. She still held her intelligence, even more so than she originally had. But there was something deep inside of her that made her feel as if she was looking at a different person in the mirror. Sometimes, all she felt was anger and distrust. These emotions would be transformed into cunning ways of solving problems. Her thinking process was much faster, and she noticed tiny details that most people would just blatantly ignore. She blamed it on the war, how it affected her in ways even she couldn't explain. But she still held on to her loyalty and her kindness, so her Sorting would truly be an interesting experience.

Dumbledore lightly put a hand on her back, guiding her towards the chair where the Sorting hat was placed. Dippet picked up the hat, waited for Hermione to be seated, and slowly started to place the hat on her head.

"_Hm, what have we got here?" _Hermione jumped a little. She forgot that the hat was able to speak with you inside your own mind. "_I see you're far from home, aren't you little time traveler?" _

"_Please, don't say anything to them. I can't let them know," _Hermione pleaded.

"_There's no need to worry Miss Granger, I see you've got a big journey ahead of you. I must warn you though, it will be the most difficult you've ever endured. But the determination is there, yes. AMBITION! Ambition and loyalty and love I see, but what is this? Cunning and manipulation? Hmm. You're not making this easy for me Miss Granger," _the hat mused.

"_Not even I can tell you who I am anymore. Something happened to me back in the future… I feel so angry all the time. It's like something snapped inside of me, and it scares me. It scares me how much of an effect it has on me. The things I'm now capable of doing… I used to never want to hurt a fly, and now I can kill three men at once in the blink of an eye. You wanted me to make this easier for you, I can't, and I'm so sorry," _Hermione thought, tears forming in her eyes, thinking back to all the men that she killed.

"_We all have difficult battles we fight Hermione, whether it's internal or external. Sometimes it's both. But I want you to remember one thing. Are you listening?" _the hat asked.

"_Yes, I'm listening," _Hermione whispered, a single tear escaping from her eye. She hadn't realized she'd said that out loud. Dumbledore and Dippet exchanged puzzled looks.

"_Love always triumphs over evil, Hermione. I know you feel like there may be similarities between you and him, but no matter how much darkness I witness growing inside you, you possess and have experienced the one thing Voldemort never had. LOVE. You've given so much out in your lifetime, and THAT is what makes you different from him. It is our choices that show who we really are, far more than our abilities, as he seems to value more than anything. I see you dream about the Potter and Weasley boys often, and I see it holds you back from becoming who you're supposed to be. You have a great mission ahead of you, but don't trick yourself into thinking your life is dedicated fully to it. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, Hermione. Let others in. We are only as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided. Isolation will only make your mind weaker, don't allow that to happen," _the hat stated.

"_Isolation is the only answer. I can't share my true origins with anyone in this time period, not even Dumbledore…" _Hermione thought.

"_Who said anything about sharing where you came from? Your story seemed to work on the headmaster and Dumbledore. No, Hermione. Let others see the kindness that shines through you. I don't see such bright auras as often as yours. Let it shine upon others, and you might be surprised with the result," _the hat told her.

"_Thank you, so much," _Hermione thought, tears running freely down her cheeks now.

"_I think I know where to put you now, my dear. You've got a lot of work to do, but I believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, as long as you believe in yourself as well. So, I've decided it better be…."_

"_SLYTHERIN!" _the hat yelled, out loud this time.

"_Well done, Hermione! Slytherin is truly a very noble house indeed," _praised Dippet.

"_Good luck, Hermione," _she heard the hat say faintly as Dippet reached to pull it off of her head. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and thought about what the hat had said to her. This darkness inside of her would be kept at bay if her kindness outshined the evil that poisoned her body. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and she gasped for breath as if it had been metaphorically drowning her. Once again, Hermione wiped her eyes clean and threw a grateful look back at the Sorting hat. Who knew a leather hat could be so wise?

She threw Dumbledore a small smile, signaling she was ready to leave. Dippet stood from his desk and walked down the spiraling stairs.

"_Well, I assume you're ready to meet your new housemates?"_ Dippet asked.

Hermione nodded, and followed Dippet and Dumbledore outside the headmaster's office into the hallways of Hogwarts. Hermione really didn't know where the Slytherin common room was, so she was paying attention to the turns and stairwells taken to get down to the dungeons. Hermione also noted secret passageways she could take if she didn't want to be bothered on the way up.

Hermione's nerves were on edge as she could clearly see the portrait that guarded the Slytherin common room. It was late, so students were either heading to bed or lounging in the common room. Hermione bet her wit that Riddle wasn't the type to turn in early.

"_Purebloods," _Dippet muttered, and the portrait door swung open. "_Hmph," _Hermione snorted. Some things really didn't change.

As Dumbledore and Dippet entered the common room, Hermione couldn't move. It was like her legs had turned to jelly and her heart was beating at a rapid rate. She heard the noise of the students on the other side of the portrait door die down as they became curious as to why the headmaster and the head of Gryffindor were in their common room.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, quiet down please!" _Dippet commanded. "_I would like to introduce you to a new student that we've acquired just yesterday. Please welcome her to your best abilities. Miss Evans?" _Dippet said. He turned next to him, expecting Hermione to be there but she was still standing outside the portrait hole.

"_Oh, come on in dear! Don't be shy, they won't bite!" _Dippet laughed. Hermione wanted to hit him. She wasn't SHY, she was WAITING for him to shut his big mouth so that she could make her entrance. Hermione smoothed down her clothes. She had told Dumbledore that the floral pattern wasn't her style, and he smiled and asked Margaret to get her something a little less girly. Margaret came back with a beautiful black dress, dark floral stockings, and heels. The heels had complimented her legs perfectly, and her hair was curled into perfect ringlets that went to the middle of her back. Red lipstick stained her lips, and a little mascara accented her eyelashes. She looked beautiful, and she knew it. But modesty was still a part of her, and she entered with her head and eyes downcast.

Hermione walked in, and looked around the sea of students. The boys were all staring, some with their mouths hanging open. She spotted in particular a platinum blond boy who resembled Draco so greatly. "_He must be a Malfoy,"_ she thought as the signature smirk came into place as he appreciated her body with his eyes. Even after all that happened, she missed Draco. She knew that he was forced into the life of a death eater, and she wished that there was anything she could do to get him out. This Malfoy looked so similar to Draco, she gently smiled at him. To her surprise, the smirk fell off of his face and transformed into the small, genuine smile that mirrored hers.

As her eyes fell off of the Malfoy of this time period, she looked around again. Dippet was busy telling the whole house the reason she was here, only giving the general explanation and not the personal details, which she was grateful for. She was only half listening though, continuing to look around the faces of students.

Her eyes fell on a dark, tall, and by the looks of it, handsome boy that was leaning in the shadows, his cool eyes watching her every move. It wasn't appreciative like the other boys, but calculating. Hermione couldn't help but resemble those eyes to ones that she had seen in the future. The only difference was that this boy's eyes weren't red and snakelike. "_Riddle," _she thought.

She looked at him for a few more seconds, emotionlessly turning her head back around to Dumbledore and Dippet. Dippet was finished with his speech, and Dumbledore spoke up.

"_Well, I believe Miss Evans would like some rest now. Everyone should do the same," _Dumbledore said gently to all the students. Dumbledore whispered directions to her dorm and told her to have a good night's rest. Hermione smiled at him, and bid him goodbye as she turned for the stairs. She excused herself through the array of students standing in the way, and made her way up the stairs, looking back at Dumbledore who gave her a smile of encouragement. Hermione smiled back and continued up the stairs, towards her new life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Oi! 'Mione! Wait for me!"_

"_Come on Ronald, keep up! The shop's about to close any minute, and I REALLY want ice cream!"_

"_Alright then…" Ron picked Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder. Squealing, Hermione yelled for him to put her down._

"_Ron! RON! Put me down!" she said with a grin on her face. _

"_Nope! You want ice cream, well this is how we're getting there on time."_

"_RON! RON!" squealed Hermione._

_Ron finally put her down, only to realize the shop already closed. _

"_Uhhh, Hermione? Shopsclosedwedidntmakeitintime." _

"_What did you say?"_

"_Shop's closed…."_

_Hermione turned around, disappointed. Ron came from behind and put his arms around her._

"_Hey, we'll get some tomorrow, I promise."_

_Hermione turned around, smiling at her boyfriend. "Don't say you promise! You always jinx things!" _

"_Ah alright! Alright! I take it back, I take it back!" Ron laughed. "I don't take back what I said earlier though. I love you, Hermione. I promise to always love you," Ron said seriously._

_Hermione kissed him, and brought him into her arms. Suddenly, she smelled something bad, like something rotting. She pulled back from Ron, to ask if he smelled it too, but screamed instead._

_Ron's face was decayed, maggots hanging from every opening. Hermione stumbled back, terrified of the scene that was her boyfriend. Ron held open his arms for her._

"_Hermione? What's wrong? Come here, I love you Hermione. I love you. I love you Hermione, I love you."_

_Ron kept repeating the sentence over and over, all the while stepping closer to her. "NO!" she screamed. _

"_Hermione, I'm so cold. Help me, 'Mione. I'm so cold."_

_Black liquid oozed from his mouth, and the skin on his arms looked as if they were melting off, piece by piece, showing the muscle beneath it. _

"_Why did you do this to me, Hermione? Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me, Hermione? I'm so cold. Come here, I love you Hermione, I love you." _

_As soon as Ron said this, his head detached from his body, blood spilling everywhere._

* * *

Hermione woke up in a cold sweat, shaking violently. The nightmare had caused her nails to sink into her skin, and she looked down at her arms to find that she had drawn blood. Her face was soaked, drowning in the tears that wouldn't stop falling. She stayed in her bed, shaking and sobbing, and staring at the blood on her arms. She couldn't stop thinking about Ron, and the scary part was, the scene she had actually witnessed in the future wasn't that far off from the one in her nightmare.

Looking at the clock, she noticed that it was only three in the morning. She shakily got out of bed and walked out of her dorm, making her way to the huge bathroom she shared with at least four other girls. She turned on the shower, making sure the water was scalding hot, stripped, and stepped in, taking a seat on the floor. Hermione was still shaking from the nightmare, sobbing as the scalding water beat her back.

She stayed in that position for over an hour, and was surprised that the hot water hadn't run out. She stood up, washing her body and hair, making sure to take her time as she thought scrubbing away the image of Ron would do any good. When she got out, she wrapped herself in a towel, and left the bathroom.

Entering her dorm, she closed the door and slid down, pulling her knees up to her chest. All she could think about was Ron. She had loved him, still did. She couldn't stop thinking about his smile, and his gorgeous blue eyes that would look at her with love and understanding. She couldn't stop thinking about his laugh, how he would always say the right thing when she was angry or upset. She promised herself that she would do everything in her power to throw off Riddle and his plans. For Ron. Everything she was doing was for Ron. Ron and Harry.

Harry… how she missed him. He acted like the older brother she never had. Overprotective, maybe, but she loved him so much. She remembered his green eyes, and how he would always somehow break his glasses, and how he would always come to her because he forgot the spell to fix them.

Now, all she could see were Harry's beautiful green eyes, staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. She could only see Ron's once handsome face filled with life, severed from his body and looking like a clown reject. She couldn't help it, she sobbed. She sobbed because she missed them greatly, because she couldn't tell them about how Riddle made her nervous or how scared she was because they weren't HERE. They never would be.

After a few minutes, she got herself under control. She stared miserably at the wall, her eyes circled with spread tears, hearing the rhythm of the lake's water brushing up against it on the other side. The water's sound soothed her, and as she listened more closely, she heard the mermaids singing in the distance. She thought it was all in her head, but then she remembered that her dorm was the farthest out into the lake. She could be hearing lots of creatures in her time here.

She listened to the mermaids singing, and it reminded her of Riddle. Their songs were beautiful, but the mermaids themselves were deadly. From what Dumbledore had told her before the Final Battle, Riddle was a very charismatic young man in his time at Hogwarts. Everybody liked him, and he had every professor wrapped around his finger. Everyone but Dumbledore, of course. It was the main reason Tom didn't like him. She thought back to what Dumbledore had said right before Voldemort and his followers invaded Hogwarts.

"_If they capture you, they WILL bring you straight to Voldemort. In his eyes, you're the most valuable asset. Your intelligence, wit, and thinking process all match his, and he wants a second mind on his side. Whatever you do Hermione, don't, I REPEAT, don't give in to what he wants. Fear is only an emotion, and he hides behind it. If you have no fear, he is vulnerable. He is weak."_

"_Fear is only an emotion, and he hides behind it. If you have no fear, he is vulnerable. He is weak." _Hermione whispered. She closed her eyes and soaked up Dumbledore's words. She lifted herself up off of the floor, and went over to her uniform that Dumbledore had provided her with. She unwrapped her towel, slipping on her black stockings, black skirt, and black sweater. The Hogwarts uniform was different from the one in the future, but she strangely liked it. She picked up her tie and stared at it. It pained her to put on the green and silver instead of the red and gold, but she had to get used to it.

Drying her hair into soft, natural curls that fell to the middle of her back, she put one swipe of mascara on each eye, making her eyes look larger and more innocent. She looked over at the clock which read six-thirty. Hermione sighed, grabbed her bag and her schedule, and walked out of her room to head to breakfast.

All of the girls were still asleep, so she walked as quietly as her heels would allow her. When she got to the staircase that led to the common room, she walked down quietly, making sure that no one was in the vicinity. She really didn't want to be bothered right now. After checking that the coast was clear, she walked across the common room and out of the portrait hole that led to the hallway. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she left without detection.

Hermione walked towards the way that she thought was the direction of the Great Hall. After a few turns that didn't make sense, she heaved a sigh of frustration. If anyone was following her, she wouldn't have to pretend she didn't know where she was going because she genuinely didn't know. She hadn't had any reason to come down to the dungeons other than Potions class.

After about fifteen minutes of walking in circles, Hermione finally found a staircase that led to the upper level and she internally rejoiced. She walked up to the Great Hall and froze. All she could see was death everywhere. The Great Hall was where most of the fighting took place in the Final Battle. She could picture all of them. Fred, George, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Lupin, Neville, Luna…. all of them had died in this room.

She shook the image out of her head and fought back the tears that were threatening to spill. She needed to stop crying, she can't show weakness in front of Riddle.

She slowly walked into the Great Hall, stopping to stare up at the enchanted ceiling. It had been so long since she's seen it move, and she took a minute to admire it. She stopped when she felt eyes on her, and she dropped her head, conspicuously looking around to see what table she belonged to. After all, she had to keep up the appearance of "new student."

Her eyes finally fell on the Slytherin table, and the one student that occupied it. Tom Riddle was the only occupant, and he watched as she made her way to the table, eyes downcast, walking to the total opposite end. She gently set her bag down and climbed onto the bench. She looked over at him, smiling for a millisecond and dropping her eyes. It was the shy form of a greeting. After all, she can't just hold hostility towards him, it would only make him more suspicious.

Hermione ignored him, pulling out the book she brought from her room and opening it to the first page. She absolutely loved reading. It brought her into a world that wasn't this one, and the momentary escape gave her a fair chance at breathing. Every few pages she would pick the food off of her plate, eating modestly as if someone was going to punish her if they saw her eating.

About a half hour later, more students were filtering in for breakfast. Hermione looked up from her book, startled at how many people had come to sit at the table. She was also very uncomfortable with how many stares she was receiving, so she gathered her bag and left, off to find her first class.

After she was a ways away from the Great Hall, she stopped to look at her schedule. She had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Merrythought. "_How fitting," _Hermione thought. She folded up her schedule, putting it back into her bag. Just as she was about to continue on, she heard someone calling her name.

"_Miss Evans," _said a melodic voice. Hermione jumped, startled at how beautiful that voice was. She slowly turned around, only to find Tom Riddle walking toward her. His face was beautiful, she'll give him that. It was like he was perfectly sculpted, not one imperfection in place. "_He looks like an angel," _she thought. "_A fallen angel." _

"_I apologize profusely if I've startled you, I didn't mean to,"_ he said. She wasn't surprised at his politeness. She knew he sculpted his emotions perfectly, so she was prepared for the innocent look that he gave her.

"_Oh, apology accepted… it was my entire fault anyway for being so jumpy," _she told him softly. She was proud of herself for sounding so innocent and broken.

"_Still, I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. I just wanted to introduce myself, since I didn't get a chance last night. It was entirely rude of me to have such a beautiful girl walk by and slack in my manners of offering my name."_

Hermione mentally snorted. "_It really wasn't a bother. I wasn't entirely feeling social last night anyway. You need not worry."_

Tom smiled softly and took her right hand in his. "_Well before I catch you in another anti-social state… my name is Tom. Tom Riddle." _He lifted her hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss upon her knuckles, all while staring into her eyes intensely.

Hermione mentally barfed, but she kept her cool, looking back with a small smile. Still holding her hand, he said, "_I was asked by the headmaster to be your guide around the castle. I know it can get confusing at times, and I just thought that another person in your company would make you more comfortable."_

Hermione gently pulled her hand out of his grasp. "_Thank you for the offer Mr. Riddle, but I believe I can make my way around the castle just fine on my own," _she said softly.

She turned to leave, but Tom wasn't having it. "_Miss Evans, I insist. The castle can get very confusing and you could get lost easily, seeing as you're new. Please, there is no trouble in me helping you find your way. It's what I'm here for."_

Hermione noticed he was getting frustrated, despite his polite façade. Her guess was that he wasn't used to getting rejected, especially by a girl.

"_And I insist that you leave me to my own devices, Mr. Riddle. I can find my own way around the castle without your help. I've been through a lot worse than taking the wrong hallway." _Hermione disputed, turning to walk away. She turned around last minute to see shock and anger displayed on Tom's face. "_Oh, and it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Riddle. It was nice of you to offer your services, but they aren't really needed. Nor, will they ever be," _she hinted. With the last word, she turned around and began walking towards her class.

When she arrived to class, she made sure she arrived a few minutes before it was supposed to start, to make it look like she was still finding her way around the castle. Riddle was already there, standing with a group of Slytherins. He looked her way when she entered, but she didn't even glance over at him, just moved to the side as the professor scurried in.

"_Okay, good morning class! Now, today, we will be doing something new. Since you all are fifth years now, you will be able to experience the art of dueling. I've brought some guests to show some examples of defensive and offensive spells when dealing with dark wizards. As you know, a war is upon us, and I would like you to be prepared. Please help me welcome the head of the Auror office, James Reidner."_

"_Reidner? Where have I heard that name before?" _Hermione thought.

A tall, handsome, muscular man stepped up on the stage, sporting a tight black muscle shirt and the required Auror gear. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and Hermione could hear all the girls swooning over him. Hermione just rolled her eyes and waited patiently for him to talk.

"_Now as you all know, there is a war upon us. Most of you are ignorant at what really happens in the outside world, some of you have experienced it more than anyone could imagine." _At that moment, his eyes fell upon her. Hermione gasped, thinking back to when she was first found in the forest.

* * *

"_Reidner! Scope the forest, we need to know there's none of his followers lurking around the perimeter. Grindelwald can be very unpredictable." Dumbledore shouted to a man in the distance. Hermione looked behind her, watching a young man lead about twenty others into the forest, cautiously advancing further into the dark shadows. She saw him look behind at her, eyes worried before turning back to find whoever did this to her._

* * *

_The man smiled at her, knowing that she remembered who he was now. Riddle noticed this little interaction, and narrowed his eyes as he watched the man staring at Hermione. _

"_Now, the best way to learn is by watching and doing. Would anyone like to volunteer to be the example for the spells I wish to show you all?" _Reidner asked. Once again, his eyes fell on Hermione. "_How about you sweetheart? Would you come up here for me?"_

Hermione's eyes widened a fraction in shock, and watched as every head turned in her direction. James extended his hand to give her a boost up onto the stage, and she took it gladly.

"_The number one rule is to never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected, and you will win."_ Reidner turned quickly, shooting a spell at Hermione that she instinctively shielded against. The audience gasped, and Hermione wondered why they were all staring at her in awe. Reidner looked at her in approval, and she realized that she shielded herself from the spell wandlessly AND wordlessly.

Reidner came to her side and came right up to her ear. "_Are you ready for a challenge, sweetheart?" _he whispered.

Hermione shivered, and he smirked again. He walked away from her, all the while summoning another person from the crowd. Another man, looking to be in his thirties and VERY well built climbed up to the stage, and looked at her condescendingly. Hermione was reminded of Antonin Dolohov, and she rolled up her sweater, ready to fight.

The man laughed and threw a simple Confringo at her, which she easily sidestepped and let it crash into the wall behind her.

"_Diffindo!" _he yelled, and Hermione slowed down the spell by putting her hand out in front of her, almost commanding it to stop, turned it around, and sent it toward the man's way. He was thrown back, and crashed against the wall, falling to the floor.

"_Ennervate," _she whispered, and the man opened his eyes. He looked at her scornfully, hatred building up in his chest.

"_Petrificus Totalus!" _Ropes flew from his wand, racing towards Hermione. She thought a simple "Serpensentia" and mixed it with a fire-making curse and unleashed it upon the ropes, the fire snake burning the ropes to ashes and disappearing.

The man was getting furious now. "_CRUCIO!" _he yelled, causing the whole entire class to gasp. Hermione was taken aback that he would use that curse on a student. Riddle watched in amazement as the curse hit Hermione, watching her as she fought it. The class stared in disbelief as Hermione walked toward the man at a slow, predatory pace, seeming unbothered by the curse being held upon her. "_I can't believe I'm doing this.." _she thought. She lifted up her right arm, murmured the spell that wouldn't be invented for another thirty years, and lightning was summoned to her. She grabbed at it, twirling it around so it winded around her body, and sent it flying at her opponent.

He barely blocked it, but wasn't prepared for the "Sectumsempra" that she threw his way, taking care only to graze his shoulder. He yelled in pain, and something broke inside of him. She could see it.

He lifted his wand, muttering the curse that had become a constant in her life. "_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _he yelled.

"_NO!" _screamed Merrythought and James at the same time. Out of her peripheral, she could see James running up to the stage, but she didn't have time for him right now. Her eyes went glassy, a white film covering them as if she was a ghost. She spread her hands at her side, summoning her life force as a shield to the evil sprinting towards her. She slowed the killing curse with her mind, and just as it reached her, it split, forming around every hair, every crevice of her body, but never touching it. As soon as it passed her, the once green light of the curse had formed into ashes, being thrown all over the place given the speed the spell was cast at. Students all around were sprayed with the ashes of the killing curse, looking down in total disbelief at the once deadly curse spread all about their robes.

Tom, eyes wide, picked up a sample of ash from his robes, rubbing it between his fingers. His eyes snapped back to Hermione, still in the ghostly state.

The man Hermione was dueling with stumbled back, genuinely afraid of the girl in front of him. Hermione wasn't finished with him yet, though. How dare he cast that curse at her. How dare he cast that curse at ANYONE. She summoned the snake again, growing about ten feet above her head. Parseltongue poured from her mouth, her arm extended in the man's direction. The snake obeyed, lunging at the screaming man who covered himself with his arms as the fire consumed him.

Tom's heart was beating a million miles a second. She had just spoken in PARSELTONGUE. No one he's ever met had that ability. Who was this girl? How was she able to speak it? He became obsessed with the task of knowing everything about this girl, and he wasn't going to stop until he knew every little detail about her.

He watched as the crackling power drained from her body, leaving her without a hair out of place. Her eyes were on her opponent, who was lying unconscious on the floor, a few burns on his skin that looked like they would take a considerable amount of time to heal, even with magic.

"_Ennervate," _she whispered again, and the man groggily woke up. James shouted for his companions to grab Mulciber, which she guessed was her opponent's name, and ran towards her.

"_Hermione, are you alright?" _he asked, concern filling his eyes.

"_Of course," _she said matter-of-factly. She paused for a second… "_He used those curses…_" she started.

"_I know." _James said. "_He'll be taken to trial for it, and I doubt that they'll let him leave without a life sentence in Azkaban."_

"_Thank you. For everything." _Hermione said softly. James turned back to her, respect filling his eyes as he stared at the young girl in front of him.

"_You know, when I found you in the forest, I didn't think you'd be this powerful. You were amazing out there. How did you do all of that?" _he asked.

"_Didn't you hear, Mr. Reidner? A witch never reveals her secrets," _she said, a smile forming on her face.

James grinned at her, cupping her face in a fatherly gesture. "_You take care of yourself, little fireball."_

Hermione smiled at the nickname. "_I will," _she promised.

At that moment, Professor Merrythought dismissed the class, asking for a word with James. James bid her goodbye, and Hermione stepped off the stage, finding her bag and excusing herself through the sea of students staring at her like she was the greatest thing to ever exist.

Tom pushed through the crowd after her, his eyes never leaving her form. He was not going to lose her. He followed her out of the classroom, and watched as she made her way down the hall quickly, presumably to her next class.

Hermione got the feeling she was being followed, and she knew exactly who it was. She knew Riddle would be interested in her after her little display, especially after she revealed her ability to speak Parseltongue. She wasn't born with the ability to speak it. No, something had happened back in the future. She didn't exactly know how or what had happened, but something involving Harry had her waking up the next morning speaking to her best friends in the rare language without realizing it. Only Harry understood her, and he had given her a smile as if he knew what was going on.

She conveniently "stopped" to rummage through her bag, making sure she had everything and watched as Tom leaned against a wall across from her, watching her. Uncomfortable with his intense stare, she moved on, only to see out of her peripheral that Tom had moved on as well. "_Oh Merlin, this is going to be a long day," _she thought, as she slipped into the ladies room for a few moments away from Tom's stalking form.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hermione gripped the sink with white knuckles, her head bowed as she fought the nausea building up within her. The magic used to defeat Mulciber had taken its toll on her. To tell the truth, Hermione wasn't sure if she could stop that killing curse. In the future, she was taught by Mad Eye that the only magic strong enough to block the Avada Kedavra curse was one that was summoned from the deepest core of her being, a magic so pure that an evil such as the killing curse would be possible to resist.

She looked up at her reflection, sweat causing her hair to stick to her forehead. She turned on the sink, cupping the cool water and splashing it on her face. The nausea was beginning to subside, but her whole body ached. She lifted her head, noticing for the first time what bathroom she was in. She gasped as she realized that she was in the girl's bathroom on the second floor. Back in her second year, she had accidentally discovered a secret passage that was hidden on the left wall. Her clumsiness proved to be accommodating at times. She racked her brain, trying to remember how to unlock the passage door.

Deciding to take the chance, she slowly walked over to the wall, running her hands over it to find where the opening was. After a few minutes of blindly running her hands over the tile, she stepped back, flustered.

"_Where is that passage? I know it's here somewhere," _she thought.

Stepping back even more to get a good view of the wall, she stumbled over a pipe, yelping as her face half met with the stone floor. "_Ugggghhh," _she groaned. _"I need to really stop doing that…" _

Lifting her arms to help her sit up, her eyes fell upon the pipe that she had tripped on. Looking more closely, she saw a hidden shape in the rust of the pipe, looking to be in the form of a circle. She pushed it lightly, and heard what sounded like stone rubbing against stone behind her. She spun around, watching as the secret entrance opened, darkness spilling from its depths.

Half internally rejoicing, and probably half internally bleeding, Hermione thanked the Founders that she was born with such clumsiness. It truly was both a blessing and a curse.

Taking out her wand, she muttered a quick "Lumos," her wand protruding a small light as she entered the darkness. The space was narrow, as if barely two people could fit through it at once. Trudging further through the shadows, she suddenly heard the closing of the stone door behind her. It was almost as if it was a sound of finality, and it made her extremely nervous. Ignoring the strange premonition that was scratching at the back of her mind, she continued on, the corridor surprisingly long. Taking a moment to look up at the ceiling as if there would be anything interesting hanging from it, she lost her footing, again, falling flat on her face.

"_You have GOT to be kidding me," _she moaned. Once again lifting herself up, she noticed that she landed in front of a staircase leading up to a higher level. She began ascending it, wincing as if the fall had given her the beating of a lifetime. She lifted up her wand, the light illuminating what seemed like an endless ascent to nowhere.

Hermione huffed, forcing her bruised body to move.

"_Hermione,"_ a voice whispered.

She whirled around, startled. No one should be in this corridor except for her. The voice she had heard sounded distant and she used her wand to illuminate every corner of the staircase, making sure no one was going to pop out.

As her wand light reached the bottom of the staircase where she started climbing, she froze. There, at the bottom of the staircase, rotted and maggot infested, was Ron. She couldn't believe her eyes. "_No, no, no. This can't be!" _she thought, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"_R-R-Ron?" _she whispered.

Just after she said his name, Ron opened his mouth, letting out a deafening and horrible snarl. He clawed up the stairs toward her, his face forming into something not human.

Hermione screamed with everything she had, terrified of the thing that Ron had transformed into. She spun around, sprinting up the stairs with every muscle she had, ignoring the pain from her previous falls. Ron was right behind her, gaining on her with every passing second. That horrible roar kept ringing in her ears. She screamed again, this time taking two stairs at a time to put distance between her and that… that… thing.

Bumping into the walls because of her inability to hold her wand light straight, Hermione finally reached another stone door. She came on to it, clawing at it as if her life depended on it. She whipped her head around, watching as that monster was only feet away from her. She screamed, just as the door opened suddenly, causing her to fall onto the floor. Getting up quickly, she sprinted down the hallway, away from Ron.

Not daring to look behind her, she found another staircase that looked like it led to the lower floors, and she flew down them. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew that she had to get AWAY.

Tears rolling down her face, she ran down various hallways, twisting and turning around every corner until she reached the castle doors. She pushed them open, running down the lawn, pass the Womping Willow, and towards the dark shadows of the forbidden forest.

Breaking through the overgrowth, she ran as fast as she could, as if the explosion of her lungs would erase that horrible image. It was as if his rotten body was possessed, and that horrible snarl was still echoing in her mind.

Tears flowing down her face, she came upon the cave in which Aragog, Hagrid's arachnid, would one day dwell in. She pushed through the vines, ducking under the overgrown brush until she reached the center of the cave.

Curling into a ball, she sobbed with every fiber of her being. She allowed her cries to break through the barriers of her soul, showing the world just how broken she was. She stayed like that for several hours, draining herself of the last tear she could ever produce.

Her tears coming to a halt, Hermione sat up. She looked condescendingly at the dirt and grime that covered her skin and clothes. It was HER that caused Ron and Harry to be captured, tortured, and killed. It was HER that was the stupid Mudblood that messed everything up. Everything that happened to her family and friends was HER fault, and in that moment, Hermione hated herself more than anything or anyone. She hated herself more than any of the Death Eaters. She even hated herself more than she hated Tom Riddle.

"_I'm so sorry, Ron. I'm so sorry," _she sobbed. Hermione had never felt more grief in her life. She couldn't stop comparing Ron's face, full of life, to that horrible creature that had attacked her. She looked up at the cave ceiling, as if anyone of a higher power would make this pain disappear. She needed it to disappear.

The snapping of a branch suddenly caught Hermione's attention. She softly gasped, retreating more into the undergrowth of the cave. She gripped her wand, shaking from the anticipation that it might be the Ron creature again. Instead, from where she was hiding, all she could see were hooves. She peeked up to find a centaur looking around the entire space, ears attentive to every sound echoing within the cave. She didn't know what his intentions were, so she stayed as still as she could manage. Gripping her wand like a lifeline, Hermione shook violently, tears silently falling down her face.

The centaur sniffed the air, and slowly turned his head down towards where Hermione was hiding. He bent down and pushed aside the vines that served as Hermione's cover. What he found was Hermione, dirt covering every part of her body, tears falling down her face, shaking hopelessly under his stare.

He bent down, lifting a hand towards her. Hermione moved back, completely terrified.

"_It's alright little one, I will not hurt you," _the centaur said in a soothing voice. Hermione peeked up at him through her eyelashes, staring at him with big, tear-filled, doe eyes.

"_Come here, my darling," _he said. His arms circled around Hermione, lifting her effortlessly as she continued to cry. The centaur was huge, and Hermione felt as if she was only an infant being held against his chest.

"_Firenze, have you found her?" _came a soothing, female voice.

"_She is a broken little one. I fear that her mind will not recover from the horrors she has seen." _Firenze said.

"_We must take her back to the castle. The forest is no place for her to wander," _the female said.

"_I know, this one must be saved. The constellations show a great destiny for her. The fate of the entire Wizarding world lies in her hands," _Firenze said. At that moment, Hermione drifted off to sleep, Firenze's words sounding more like an echo dissipating within the distance.

When Hermione woke up, she found herself on the edge of the forest. She wondered why they didn't bring her to the castle, but remembered that the centaurs were not permitted to enter Hogwarts grounds. She lifted herself up, staring at the castle that once felt like it was home. Now, it felt more like an isolated place, where it didn't bring any warmth or protection. She shakily got up, and walked toward the castle. Thankfully, it was still daytime, but late enough that there were barely any students walking around.

Hermione made her way to the dungeons, whispering the password and climbing through the portrait hole. She was about to make her way to the stairs that led up to the girls' dormitories when a cold voice broke the atmosphere like a thin sheet of ice.

"_Miss Evans. Where have you been? I was sent by the headmaster to retrieve you to finish off your final paperwork, and you were nowhere to be found," _he said. Riddle narrowed his eyes at her dirty and distraught appearance. He took a step closer, his eyes intensifying.

"_What happened to you?"_ he demanded.

Hermione didn't say anything, her face an emotionless mask. Ever since she heard Firenze say that she was destined to save the Wizarding World, she was reminded that she was here for a purpose, not to drown in her own grief and self-pity.

"_I said, what happened to you."_ Tom repeated, emphasizing every word of the sentence.

A small, cruel smile formed over Hermione's face. "_Fuck off, Riddle."_

Tom grabbed her arm, throwing her against the wall, wand poking painfully in her neck.

"_I don't think you understand that when I ask you where you've been, you answer. Now, let's try this one more time. Where. Were. You." _he seethed.

"_Like I said, fuck off Riddle. What I do doesn't concern you," _she calmly told him. At that moment, she pushed him off of her, and went straight for the stairs, not looking back to see the look of anger on Riddle's face.

When she reached her dorm, she gathered clean clothes and headed straight for the showers. She took her time, washing the dirt and bad memories of that day from her mind. When she was done, she dried her hair, dressed in comfortable clothes, gathered her books, and left the dorm. There was only one place she felt utterly and sincerely protected in: the library.

She walked through the halls like a zombie, slowly exercising her strained muscles and her abused mind. When she entered the library, she inhaled, the familiar and sweet smell of books filling her senses and warming her to the very pit of her stomach. She picked a table and gently placed her bag upon it before entering the stacks. She ran her fingers along the spines of the books, basking in the familiar dust-covered atmosphere that she had made her home in so many times before.

She randomly chose a book, pulling it gently from its spot on the shelf, and opened it. She tenderly ran her fingers down the page, treating it as if it was going to break if she was anything but kind towards it. She placed it back in its spot, turning around to pull another book from the shelf. What she didn't expect was Tom Riddle to be standing only mere inches from her, staring at her evenly.

Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. "_Can I help you with something, Mr. Riddle?" _she asked him.

Tom only bent his head, scrutinizing every little detail of her face. "_I didn't expect you to be here. Normally girls would keep away from this place as if it was diseased." _

"_You're lying," _she simply stated.

"_About what?" _Tom asked, his expression forming into amusement.

Hermione looked away from him, back to the shelf. "_About not expecting me to be here."_

_What are you implying?" _she heard him ask.

Hermione looked back at him. "_That you were following me," _she said simply. "_Are you going to deny it?" _she challenged him, looking deeply into his eyes, never yielding under his sturdy gaze.

Tom looked at Hermione, a cruel smile forming on his face. "_I just wanted to ask if you were alright. I'm afraid I lost my temper back there and I wanted to apologize for it. I was greatly worried about you when I couldn't find you, and I didn't realize I had taken it out on you before it was too late."_ Riddle answered. Hermione actually wanted to applaud him. He formulated his emotions and expression perfectly. If she was any other unsuspecting girl unaware of what he would grow up to be, she would be swooning over the lost and innocent face he was throwing her way right now.

"_I see. Well, I apologize if I.. frightened you Mr. Riddle, but I assure you that I can take care of myself at any time." _she told him.

"_You know, you keep repeating that. How you're not afraid of anything and how you can take care of yourself. I don't doubt that you can, but I would rethink the "not afraid of anything" part." _At that moment, he stepped closer to her. _"There are a lot of things to be afraid of, Miss Evans."_

Hermione mirrored his action, taking one step closer to him. At this rate, they were close enough that their noses were almost touching. Hermione looked him straight in the eye. _"You're right. I am afraid of a lot of things. But you, Mr. Riddle, are not one of them. So I would greatly appreciate if you stayed out of my business. I will never tell you a thing about what I've done, where I've been, or who I'm with at any point of time because you are not worthy enough to know those little details, nor will you ever be. So I suggest that you knock it off with the stalking, the staring, and the ambushing. Fail to do so, and there will be consequences." _she said, a serious expression gracing her face.

Tom looked at her with disgust. This girl was really getting on his nerves, and the people who irritate him don't survive very long. He grabbed her neck, throwing her against the book shelves. He smirked at the look of fear in Hermione's eyes.

_"I'd watch what you say, Evans. Don't think that just because you're new, you receive immunization from me. Now, let me make something clear. I can make your life a living nightmare, and nightmares prove to be hard to forget."_ Riddle smirked knowingly, making Hermione confused.

_"So I suggest you stop with the back talking, the snippy comments, and keep your opinions about whether someone is worthy or not for knowledge to yourself."_

He gripped her neck tighter, cutting off her air supply even more. A cruel smirk graced his beautiful face as he leaned into her to whisper in her ear. _"Fail to do so, and there will be consequences." _

He threw her head back into the shelves right before walking off, an arrogant confidence radiating around his very being. Hermione gasped for breath, genuinely terrified at his words. She went too far. She really needed to learn how to keep her big mouth shut. Now, she didn't know what was to come now that she was on the Dark Lord's bad side. She got the feeling that this little display was baby play compared to what he really wanted to do to her. Hermione shakily gathered her bag, slowly making her way to the Slytherin common room, all intention of avoiding Tom Riddle for the rest of her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_She heard someone whispering her name._

_Hermione turned around, frightened. Everything was dark, and the whisper didn't sound human. She looked like she was in a building, ruined from the Muggle war. She walked towards a door, where the whispering was coming from._

"_Hermione, come here. Hermione, help me. Hermione, come here. Hermione, help me."_

_The voice kept summoning her, drawing her in like a spell. Using her brain, she stopped. If she went in there, she most likely wouldn't be coming out. Hermione turned her head to the side, noticing a second door leading into the room where the whispering was coming from. _

_She stalked quietly around the corner, peeking through the window to get a better look at the person the voice belonged to. What she didn't expect was the thing's face right in the window. It made the same roaring sound as Ron did, except this one didn't have red hair…. It had dark hair. And glasses._

"_H-H-Harry?" _

_The thing roared again, its face turning into something not human. It crouched, jumping through the window, shattering the glass all over Hermione. She threw her arms up and screamed as Harry pounced on top of her, putting his hands around her neck. _

_Hermione grabbed at his hands, trying desperately to pull them off, but what she felt was something wet and sticky. She pulled back her hands and looked at them. Blood coated every inch of her hands that made contact with her neck. This thing wasn't using hands to hold her down… it was using its claws. _

_Hermione whimpered, desperate to get this thing off of her. Her neck was burning, and she was getting dizzy from the blood loss. In her peripheral, she saw what looked like a remnant of a chair leg. She guessed this place was a school before it was bombed. She grabbed it, using all the strength she could muster to hit the thing that was draining the life out of her. _

_Harry fell back, running into the other room. Hermione tried to get up, her neck bleeding profusely. Holding it to try to stop the blood flow, she looked around, terrified that Harry was going to jump out at her again. _

"_H-Harry?" she sobbed. It was dead quiet, not one little sound emanating from anywhere. She got up, her legs feeling like Jell-O and her heart beating a million miles per second. She looked around, catching no sight of Harry anywhere in the room. She headed toward the room where he disappeared in, peeking in cautiously for any sign of him. _

"_H-Harry?" she whispered, shaking from the death quietness and the suspense. _

_At that moment, a roaring sound came from behind her and Hermione whirled around just in time to see Harry lunge at her, this time wasting no time in sinking his sharp teeth into her arm. She screamed in agony, clawing at him to get him off. His claws scraped her stomach, causing a semi-deep gash that spilled blood everywhere on the concrete floor. Harry lifted his head up, smirking with that non-human face, cackling like her draining life force was the most entertaining thing to him._

* * *

Hermione awoke, gasping for air. She looked around at her surroundings, realizing that she was in her dorm. Her heart felt like it was exploding out of her chest. That nightmare was the scariest of all the ones she's had. Why was she having these nightmares in the first place? Surely her guilt over Ron and Harry's deaths wouldn't be so much as to cause such vivid and violent dreams?

She lifted herself up on one elbow, trying to relax herself. She dropped her head, trying to loosen up the nerves in her neck, and froze. Her whole pillow was SOAKED in blood. Her eyes examined it, not sure if she was still dreaming. Shakily lifting her fingers to her throat, she noticed that it was wet and sticky. She gasped, throwing back her covers. Her stomach had the same gash that she had gotten in her dream, and her arm looked like it had become a demon's chew toy.

The pain hit her all at once. She screamed with everything she had, not caring if she woke the entire Slytherin house. She flew out of bed, holding her wounds, trying to stop the blood from flowing out of her body. She threw open her door, running down the stairs into the common room. She ignored the doors opening behind her, the other girls startled at the sudden noise that awoke them from their slumber. Hermione didn't care, she had to get to the Hospital Wing.

She flew down the stairs, using the wall for support. She heard footsteps coming down from the boys' dormitories, shouts being heard as they raced towards the source of the scream. With all her might, she raced across the common room, heading straight for the portrait hole. She really didn't want anyone to see her like this, especially since the word would get around to a certain Tom Riddle. Fear was seen as a weakness, and Hermione didn't want to give him any more reason to think she was weak.

Hermione wobbled as she winded the endless hallways to get to the Hospital wing. The loss of blood was becoming too much as her vision started to dwindle, and her heart beat faster than ever to make up for the extreme loss of blood flow throughout her body.

Hermione reached the staircase leading up to the Hospital Wing, but just as she turned around to make sure no one had seen her, she began to sob. There, looking as cold and dead as ever, were both Harry and Ron, and they were smirking at her as if they enjoyed seeing the life drain out of her.

Letting out the roars that had terrifyingly become a constant in her subconscious, they lunged for her. Hermione screamed again, ignoring the blinding pain of pushing her body to a point of movement that it couldn't handle at the moment. She raced up the stairs, looking behind her every few seconds only to watch both of them gaining on her with every passing second.

"_Stop! Please stop!" _she sobbed. Using every last bit of her strength, she bolted up the last few stairs, pushing open the doors to the Hospital Wing and shutting them firmly behind her, holding them closed as if Harry and Ron could burst them open.

Breathing heavily, she collapsed on the floor just in time for Margaret to rush out of the back room and to her aid.

Distantly, she heard Margaret calling her name.

"_Hermione? Hermione! Hermione, stay with me dear," _Margaret said.

Hermione could feel herself slipping into darkness, but fought it. She was tired of fainting for every single physical and mental wound she received. She was WEAK and that was why Riddle targeted her. She wasn't thinking, she wasn't planning, and she wasn't being careful. She was acting on impulse, blinded by her grief over losing Ron and Harry.

Margaret wrapped Hermione up in bandages, buying time until the potions needed for her to heal were finished brewing. Margaret looked stunned at Hermione's wounds, shocked that something like this could happen within the walls of Hogwarts. She examined the wound on Hermione's arm particularly. It looked like something had bitten her… as if something had buried its teeth into her flesh and ripped at it. Hermione would have scars, that much she was sure of, but the wound was healable. Margaret couldn't help but feel as if she's seen this type of wound before. Bite marks, slashes, and puncture wounds that looked as if they might have been made by… claws?

At that moment, the potions were finished and Margaret gave them to Hermione. Grabbing her wand, she began to mutter counter curses and healing spells. After about an hour and a half, Hermione's wounds were healed, but just as Margaret thought, scars lined her beautiful porcelain skin.

To Margaret's surprise, Hermione stayed awake the entire process. She brushed a strand out of Hermione's face, watching as a single tear escaped from her eye.

"_Hermione?" _Margaret said softly.

Hermione looked up at the young mediwitch, her eyes pleading. "_Margaret, please don't tell anyone about this incident. Not the headmaster, not even Professor Dumbledore," _she begged.

"_What? Hermione, I have to…"_

"_NO!"_ screamed Hermione suddenly. Margaret jumped, startled at the sudden change in Hermione's tone. "_I need you to trust me on this. I need to handle this on my own. Please, I need you to not tell anyone about this. PLEASE."_

Margaret examined Hermione's face. She sat herself on the bed where Hermione was laying, taking her hand into hers. "_Hermione, what attacked you?" _she asked. She watched as Hermione's face fell. "_Please, tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone." _

After Hermione didn't say anything for a minute, Margaret spoke up. "_Is it.. is it a werewolf bite?" _she asked softly.

Hermione smiled softly. "_I wish," _she whispered. At that moment, Hermione looked up into the eyes of the young and kind mediwitch, wishing that she could tell her everything. But Hermione knew that if she dared share her information with Margaret, Margaret could become a potential target for Riddle.

Yes, Riddle. As she lay in bed for almost two hours as Margaret healed her, she put all the pieces together. Riddle specialized in playing games, especially with his victim's mind. She had thought back to a book she had read about dark creatures and how they fed on their victim. Riddle had used a specific dark creature called a darkling. Darklings only existed within the mind, and took the forms of any person that their victim has lost or loved. Given their appearance, they are often known as demons, as their true intention was found to build up fear within the victim until they are able to attain the ability to physically cause harm.

"_It fits him so well. Riddle hides behind fear, and so do the darklings. Without fear, both of them are powerless," _she thought. Hermione was angry with herself for not figuring this out sooner. She was blinded by rage and hatred for this man that he used her vulnerability to his advantage.

"_Am I okay to leave?" _Hermione asked Margaret, a new fire stirring within her soul.

Margaret thought about it for a moment. _"I suppose so.." _she sighed. "_But come back if you feel ANY pain or discomfort. I may have healed your wounds, but there may have been something else that was transferred with that bite. Just… promise me you'll be careful, Hermione. I worry about you sometimes."_

Hermione smiled at the kind witch. "_I promise, Margaret. And thank you for everything. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you," _Hermione said.

Margaret cupped Hermione's cheek, staring at the strong, beautiful woman sitting in front of her. "_You are strong, my dear. I can see it… I can FEEL it. You've got an aura around you so bright that it would take a lot for it to dim down. Not even Tom Riddle would be able to put that fire out."_

"_Wait… WHAT?" _Hermione thought.

"_I don't know what you're talking about…" _Hermione stuttered. She was utterly shocked. How did this woman know?! She didn't let something slip, did she? And she had her Occlumency walls up nice and strong… so how did she know?!

Margaret's face formed into a grave expression. _"I've had my hunches about that boy. Ever since his first year, injuries and almost fatalities were becoming more common. I wouldn't have suspected him if not for him showing up to every questioning. The way he talks to the professors… it's almost like he's formulated every response, every emotion as if he's been practicing in front of his mirror for hours. It just didn't seem natural… and then you came along. A headstrong, mysterious new girl was bound to get his attention. I've seen him follow you around, I'm not always cooped up in this wing all the time. The way he pursues you… it's almost like an obsession. That boy always thirsts for knowledge, wanting to know every little detail about everything. My guess was that you denied him that information, and he made you pay. I've studied this boy for years, Hermione. Just promise me you'll stay away from him. He is very dangerous, I can feel it whenever I'm around him."_

Hermione was at a loss of what to say. She couldn't believe that Margaret, Hogwarts' very own mediwitch, knew about the evil that lurked deep within Tom Riddle… or at least had hunches about him.

Realizing that Margaret was waiting for an answer from her, she snapped out of her thoughts. "_I promise I'll try. I can tell he's not very easy to evade after he sets his mind on something," _she said.

Margaret smiled softly at the young witch, and leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead. "_If you ever need anything, if you ever need to talk, I'll be here. I'm sure the young man doesn't expect the mediwitch of all people to know about his wrongdoings," _she said.

Hermione smiled gratefully at Margaret. She knew right then and there that she really wasn't alone in this time period. She WOULD get through this, and it was all because of this woman in front of her.

Hermione climbed out of bed, gently stretching her aching muscles. She looked outside and noticed that the sun was just peeking out from the horizon. It was the weekend, and most students would still be in bed. After cleaning herself up and changing into a long, white dress that Margaret had supplied her with, Hermione left the Hospital Wing, heading for the one place she sought sanctuary in.

As she entered the library, she went straight for the bookshelves. Choosing a book on creatures of the lake, she settled herself in a chair and began reading. Hours passed as she immersed herself into the world of deep sea creatures and their way of life. Hermione was fascinated to read that mermaids only attacked if they were being attacked first. All that myth about the mermaids singing sailors to their death wasn't true at all. Mermaids actually guided the sailors, helping them reach their destination by killing off the creatures that were prone to sink the boats. These creatures, coincidentally, were their food. It was like a trade, protection for food. She was amazed at the natural partnership that could immerse between two very different species.

Her eyes wandered towards the lake, her thoughts suddenly drifting to the thought of how remarkable it would be to experience this for herself. Getting an idea, she headed to the dungeons, towards her Potions classroom. When she arrived, she knocked, and was surprised to hear an "Enter" coming from the other side.

Hermione entered the room, watching as Professor Slughorn, her new Potions teacher, realized who had disturbed him at such an early hour.

"_Ah, Miss Evans!" _he shouted happily. "_What can I do for you on this lovely morning?" _

"_Hello Professor, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was in the library conducting some research on the ways that creatures of the lake coincide with each other. I was wondering if you could enlighten me on any ways to help me study this further. After all, it's not like I have the gills to go down there myself," _she chuckled. Hermione hated manipulation, but this was too easy.

"_Ah, very interesting! I'm proud to hear that you have developed an interest in our school's most precious creatures. Their ways of life I feel sometimes outdo ours! As for the studying part, I do have a book that I acquired in my time," _he said, as he stood up and bustled to the back of his storage room.

Hermione stifled a smile. Slughorn came out of the storage room, looking perplexed. "_Hmm… I seem to have left it in the storage room upstairs. Wait right here, my dear. I will be back!"_

As Slughorn made his way out of the room, Hermione checked to see if he was truly gone before sneaking into the storage closet, gathering the ingredients she needed to make the potion that would allow her to breathe underwater for long periods of time. This potion wasn't to be discovered for another thirty or forty years, but as long as no one saw her brewing it or asked what it was, she should be fine.

Turning her head towards the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs just outside the classroom door, Hermione secured her bag and quickly left the supply closet, darting back to the spot that Slughorn had left her in.

"_Here it is, my dear! This book contains more details about the underwater world than anyone can ever imagine. Its contents hold the dark secrets of the creatures that dwell deep in the lake's depths, so don't be frightened with what you read," _Slughorn said, trying to make the situation suspenseful.

Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. "_Thank you so much Professor! Oh, by the way, would it be too much to ask for this little project to be between you and I? I plan to write a full detailed report on the lifestyle of these creatures, and the ways they adapt to their environment." _

"_Oh, what a wonderful idea! I would love to read this report of yours Miss Evans, of course for extra credit! Go, go! I am very anxious to see what you have established," _Slughorn boomed.

He was practically pushing Hermione out the door, and she was happy to oblige. "_I will, Professor," _she chuckled. "_Have a good morning."_

Hermione smirked at her victory, and climbed the steps to the upper levels of the school. Making sure no one was following her, she climbed up to the towers of Hogwarts, where they say Helena Ravenclaw roamed about. When she got to the tower, she opened her bag and pulled out her cauldron. Using the potion recipe she memorized from a book she once read, she began to brew the potion. She spent over half an hour crushing and slicing the ingredients to the required amounts, and stirring the potion when it was needed.

Finally, after about an hour of vigorously focusing on the potion, it was completed. Bottling up the potion, she cleaned up her area, and headed down the tower stairway. She climbed down the steep hill that led to the lake, and stared out at the rhythmic waters that lapped against the horizon.

"_It's so beautiful," _she thought.

She took a deep breath, welcoming the fresh air into her lungs. She slipped off her heels, gently putting them aside. She uncorked the potion, downing it in one long gulp. Hiding her belongings, Hermione walked slowly into the water, welcoming the cold as if it helped her breathe again. Walking deeper, Hermione was finally consumed by the water, diving into the unknown depths of the lake. Hermione found that breathing underwater was becoming easier, and she knew that she had brewed the potion to perfection.

Swimming deeper into the depths, she took her time, admiring every bit of seaweed, every creature that swam past her. In the distance, she saw a small squid swimming towards her, and it hit her that in the forties, the Giant Squid was just a little baby. She happily swam toward it, as the squid embraced her, wrapping its tentacles around her as if giving her a hug.

Hermione smiled, tickling its underbelly. The squid embraced her even more, loving the attention. Remembering her task, Hermione began swimming on, but the squid was intent on not leaving her side.

Hermione laughed as the squid grabbed her hand with two of its tentacles, swimming along with her. As she looked on, she inhaled at the beauty before her. The sun from above had illuminated the lake beautifully, giving the illusion that the sunrise had been carried underwater, and enlightening the once dark depths of the unknown. She watched on as the underwater world seemed to be waking up from a dark slumber.

As she approached the tall kelp forest, the squid let go of her hand, going off to find food. She watched as it swam away, catching a little fish before bringing it to its mouth. Hermione smiled before turning back to the kelp.

She peeked in between the openings of the flowing kelp, eyeing a creature that moved within its cover. She approached it carefully, slightly pushing apart the luscious greens to make her entrance. She saw the movement again, and followed it. There, moving about through the kelp, she spotted a Grindylow. These creatures were said to be extremely dangerous, always known to exhibit violence against anything that enters their domain… and Hermione had swam right in with basically a neon "I'm Right Here" sign. She looked around, making sure that there weren't multiple Grindylows surrounding her. After confirming that the coast was clear, Hermione looked back to the single one, and froze as she noticed that it was staring at her.

At that moment, the Grindylow made a sound, almost as if it was calling something. Her answer came when dozens and dozens more Grindylows appeared quickly, surrounding her in a suffocating manner. They covered every inch of her body, including her face. She couldn't breathe, and they weight of all of them were dragging her further down into the dark depths of the green forest.

Hermione knew she had to get out, and cast a simple Knockback jinx so that she could breathe. She watched as the Grindylows were blown backward by her magic, but she didn't waste any time. Swimming quickly out of the kelp forest, she winded her way towards the other side. As soon as she broke free, she whirled around, making sure that the Grindylows wouldn't attack anymore. After all, she was out of their territory. Confirming that she was safe from any more attacks, Hermione turned around, ready to move away from those horrible creatures.

As she continued swimming toward unknown territory, she heard singing in the distance. Excitement building up within her, Hermione moved quickly, anxious to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures. Hiding behind a rock, she peeked around it only to find the underwater "city" that the mermaids have built, dozens of them swimming around completing their daily tasks. She observed each one, watching how they interacted with each other, how they ate their food, and how they built their tools.

Hermione decided to take the chance and swam slowly and gently towards the middle of their home. All mermaid attention was on her as they watched her with narrowed eyes, making sure she didn't pose a threat. Hermione watched as they gathered their children and placed them in the middle of the circle they formed, eyes sharp and alert. Hermione waved, letting them know that she meant no harm, and swam over to one of their structures. She ran her fingers over them, amazed at the intricate work that was put into it. She concluded that these creatures had a significant amount of intelligence, seeing as these homes were strangely proportionate.

Swimming further into the city, she came upon a trident, and looked at it in awe. She had heard so much about these, whether it was from the Hogwarts library or from The Little Mermaid movies. She didn't dare touch it, just looked closely at their shape, trying to decipher how they used it based on the angle and sharpness of the blade. She concluded it was probably a tool of defense and hunting.

She looked back over to the mermaids, who were still attentively watching her. They watched as Hermione continued to stare around their home in awe, amazed at how beautiful it looked with the surface light illuminating the smallest aspects of every stone, every plant, and every piece of sand.

Hermione suddenly felt her lungs needing oxygen, and she knew that the potion was wearing off. She gasped, and tried to swim as fast as she could back the way she came. Her only problem was getting through the kelp forest. She didn't have time to ward off the Grindylows, she needed to get to the surface NOW. As she felt her lungs almost exploding from her lack of oxygen, she grabbed at her throat, praying that she could make it up in time.

All of a sudden, she felt two pairs of hands grab her arms and lift her over the kelp forest, bringing her to the spot where she had found the squid. She looked to both sides of her, and realized that the mermaids were the ones guiding her to the surface. When she was close enough that she could swim to the surface on her own, she turned around, and mouthed a "thank you."

The mermaids bowed their head, and watched as Hermione swam upward, breaking through the surface, the air hitting her lungs like a cold brick. Hermione laughed, exhilarated at what she had just encountered. Little did she know that a certain dark-haired boy was watching her from behind a tree.

Hermione swam to the shore, taking her time as she enjoyed the water and the escape it brought. Swimming on her back, she stared up at the sky, thinking about how much Harry and Ron would have enjoyed this. She sighed, flipping back over and swimming normally back to shore, climbing onto a rock that was shallowly submerged in water. She saw the squid come toward her again, and settled in her lap. She giggled, playing and talking with the baby squid for quite a while. The squid decided to have some fun and pulled her into the water, lifting her up and down with its eight arms. Hermione giggled like a child, she hadn't had this much fun in quite a while… and to have it with an incredible creature was a whole other adventure.

After a few hours, Hermione bid the squid goodbye and climbed out of the water, the sky turning a light orange. She gathered her belongings, a huge grin on her face, and started her trek up to the castle. Soaking wet, Hermione entered the castle halls, still reliving the day she had just had. She was so engrossed with her thoughts, she didn't realize that someone was standing right in front of her, and she collided with their strong, hard chest.

Hermione stumbled back, but caught herself before she plummeted to the floor. "_Oh, I'm sorry,"_ Hermione laughed, _"I wasn't looking to where I was going."_

"_No, you weren't," _came a cold voice.

Hermione looked up, only to find the disapproving face of Tom Riddle scrutinizing her wet appearance. Hermione, surprised that she still had a smile on her face, laughed gently. "_Oh, I'm sorry Tom. I was just heading back. I'll see you back in the common room," _she lightly said.

Tom stared calculatingly at her, as she moved around him to head towards the Slytherin dorms. Just as she was halfway there, her stomach started rumbling. Realizing she hadn't eaten anything all day, Hermione changed her direction to the kitchens. Knowing that Riddle would probably be following her, she dug out her map from her bag, studiously inspecting it to find where she was going.

As she came upon the kitchen's door, she stopped. She was pretty sure that the way to get in fifty years in the future wasn't the same fifty years back. Hermione huffed, thinking of anything that could open this door.

"_This isn't the Slytherin common room," _a commanding and sneering voice came from behind her. Hermione whirled around, not surprised to find that Tom was the one who spoke.

"_I haven't eaten anything all day, I was just grabbing a snack," _she replied. Turning back to the painting, she put her hands on her hips, and studied it again. "_If only I could open this damn thing,"_ she softly said, more to herself than anything else.

Tom crossed his arms and looked in dark amusement as the girl in front of him couldn't solve a simple puzzle. Having enough, Tom reached over and tapped on three direct points on the painting, and sure enough, it opened.

"_Oh," _she said, glancing at Riddle. _"Thank you,"_ she added, hopping through the hole and into the kitchens.

"_Hurry up, I need to get you back. I will not get in trouble because of your incompetence to attend meals at their scheduled times," _Riddle chastised.

"_Quit being such a grumpy pants," _Hermione threw back, grabbing a yogurt and walking back out into the hallway.

Tom glanced at her choice of food and snorted. "_Are you serious?" _he said, glancing at her yogurt.

Hermione looked down confused. "_What? What's wrong with it?"_ she asked.

"_You made us walk all the way over here for a damn yogurt?" _he replied angrily.

"_Nobody said that YOU had to come," _shot back Hermione.

"_I am a prefect, therefore it was my DUTY to come. After all, wouldn't want you starting any trouble now would we?" _Tom said.

"_Hardly,"_ she muttered. She started walking back to the common room, Riddle hot on her heels. As she entered the common room, Tom grabbed her arm and spun her towards him.

"_Don't let me catch you out after hours again, or there will be consequences," _ threatened Riddle.

Hermione just pulled her arm from his grasp and continued up the stairs. She wasn't even going to give him the satisfaction of an argument tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was the first night that she had slept peacefully ever since the war started. She fluttered her eyelids open, lying momentarily content as she allowed her mind and body to wake up. The nightmares that had plagued her ever since her first night here at Hogwarts had ceased. Hermione lifted up her left arm, staring at the faint, but noticeable scars that lined her beautiful, porcelain skin. She lifted a finger, tracing the pattern the scars made from her elbow to her wrist. As she stared at the scars, she was reminded how dangerous Riddle could be. She'd underestimated him, which was one of her major faults. Seeing him as a normal human instead of that horrible, snake-like creature he had become in the future had thrown off her judgment.

Tom Riddle was no less dangerous in this time period than he was in the future. She had only been here for a week, and he had managed to almost rip her insides out… literally. A lonely tear escaped from her eye as she stared at her reminder that she wasn't getting away from Riddle. He had sent that message pretty clear. She had attracted too much attention to herself when she exhibited her abilities during that duel. She should have just kept to herself for a while, not giving him anything to be obsessive about.

Hermione pulled herself out of bed, grabbing her uniform and heading to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, the water from the shower head mixing with her tears. Today started her second week in this time period, but her body and mind were so worn out that at that moment, she reflected on how much she has changed because of this one man.

Her thirst for knowledge was still evident, but she hadn't been trying as hard in her classes as she used to in the future. Also, being in Slytherin and around all these pureblood girls has given her a vain streak. She never used to wear makeup; Harry and Ron used to tell her all the time that she didn't need it, she was beautiful on her own.

Aside from academics and vanity, her personality changed. She had become more jumpy, startled at every little noise that she heard, paranoid that a Death Eater would catch her when her guard was down. In this time period, that scenario wasn't that far off, so her guard stayed up. She found that it was extremely exhausting, having to look over her shoulder every time she went somewhere.

Hermione lifted her hand, leaning it on the wall for support and dropping her head, allowing the pounding noise of the water against her skull to fill her ears. "_I lost myself," _she thought.

She stayed under the water for a few more minutes before shutting off the shower, taking a towel and gently wrapping it around her aching body. She went to stand in front of the mirror, staring at the person she had become. Looking back at her was a girl she didn't recognize. Her face sported dark circles, permanently bruising underneath eyes that had lost most of its light. Her cheekbones looked hollow from the weight loss, and her hair wasn't as vibrant as it used to be. Hermione bent her head, allowing tears to run down her face. Without looking back into the mirror, she turned around and grabbed her wand.

Using only a drying spell, Hermione's wet hair turned into dry ringlets. The ringlets were a little bushier than normal, but Hermione kept them that way. She grabbed her hair, pinning it up so it wouldn't be in her face all day. She dressed in her uniform, her eyes dim as she tried not to push her body to an overly bearing amount of exertion. Walking back to her room, she grabbed her bag and a book. Before she left her room, she opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out a silver locket. Opening it, she was greeted with the smiling faces of her, Harry, and Ron. This photo had been taken their sixth year at Hogwarts; Hagrid had insisted. She thought back to the memory of that day, her eyes glassing over with tears at the thought of the tall and gentle half-giant that had become her friend her very first year.

* * *

"_Why not a picture fer yah memories, eh?" _

"_Hagrid, I don't think a picture is going to help us with this war,"_ _Harry had told him._

"_Quit yer talkin about the war. Yer guys want happy times, well yer gotta make yer own."_

"_I think it's a wonderful idea, Harry."_ _Hermione told him, trying to convince her best friend that this really was a good idea._

"_Oh alright. Oi! Ron! Get over here!" Harry shouted._

_Ron looked over from his conversation with his father, and jogged over to where the three of them stood._

"_What's up, mate?" Ron asked._

"_Hagrid wants to take a picture of us," Hermione explained to him. "He brought up the most wonderful idea that even though we are going through these tough times, it is crucial we make happy memories that will last us through this war and beyond. Now, you stand here, and Harry? You stand there," Hermione directed. "And remember, I want you guys to smile."_

"_Hermiiiioooonnee," both boys groaned. _

_Hermione hit them, causing them all to laugh. Hagrid saw this as the perfect opportunity to take his picture, and the camera flashed._

* * *

A tear landed on the locket as Hermione thought about that day when they all were still together. She fastened the locket around her neck, hiding it under her robes and walked out the door.

Making her way down the stairs to the common room, she spotted Riddle, lounging on a couch with a book in his hand. He seemed engrossed with the words, so Hermione continued across the common room, opening the portrait hole without even glancing towards Riddle. As she climbed up from the dungeons, her mind was in overdrive, thinking about everything and anything all at once. Too engrossed in her thoughts, she bumped into somebody as she rounded a corner, causing her to fall flat on the floor, her books spilling out of her bag.

"_I'm terribly sorry,"_ Hermione desperately apologized, not wanting to make any more enemies.

"_No, it's alright," _said a melodic voice. Hermione peeked up at the boy, who had gotten down on his hands and knees to gather her books for her. The boy had dark brown hair, swooped to the side that made him look sexy in every single way. His eyes were dark, as if looking into them caused her to drown in the depths of his soul.

Hermione quickly dropped her eyes, resuming picking up her books. At the same time that she looked down, the boy looked up, doing a double take. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He tried getting her attention, but all he got was a hassled response from her.

"_I'm so sorry again for bumping into you, I really should look at where I'm going," _she said, grabbing her bag, now filled with all her spilled books, and running off. The boy looked after her, wanting to say something but couldn't as she raced off.

Hermione felt entirely embarrassed. Here she was, making a fool out of herself in front of a cute boy. She felt guilty admiring him, thinking about the way Ron always had admired her.

"_Traitor,"_ she thought to herself as she finally reached the Great Hall.

Taking a moment to breathe, Hermione walked in, finding a spot that she knew would be far away from Riddle. Hermione's nerves were on edge, but they soon relaxed when she saw the boy whom she had bumped into enter the Hall. Her eyes lit up, watching him walk over to the Gryffindor table and greet his friends. At that moment, his eyes lifted and met hers. Hermione instantly dropped her head, her cheeks turning red at the thought that she was just caught staring at him.

Tom watched the interaction between Evans and that Gryffindor. He had come in a short while after she did, and was curious as to what had caught her attention. He walked over to the Slytherin table, braving himself and sitting directly across from Hermione.

Hermione began to have a stroke when she realized that Riddle had taken the seat directly opposite her. "_Good morning, Miss Evans. Did you sleep well?" _he asked.

Hermione stared at him for a few seconds, then dropped her eyes to her food. "_Actually, I did. How about you? Did you sleep well?" _Hermione asked softly. She was playing the nice card. She didn't have enough fire to fight back anymore, she was trying to survive now.

"_Somewhat. Certain things were filling my mind and it made it hard to sleep," _Tom answered.

"_Everyone has that problem at some time," _Hermione said, reaching to grab a piece of toast. The action caused the sleeve of her robe to ride up, giving Riddle a full view of the scars that lined her arms.

"_I see your fiery personality has gotten you in a bit of trouble. I'd be careful, Miss Evans. Don't piss off the wrong people. You could get hurt," _said Riddle, his tone even.

Hermione didn't dare look at him. She just pushed around her food, losing her entire appetite. She was too uncomfortable sitting so near him, but she knew that if she got up and left, Riddle would follow her. He would always follow her.

After about a half hour of keeping her eyes downcast, Hermione finally gathered her bag and stood up to head to class. As she walked away, she noticed Riddle following hot on her heels. She turned to look at him, anger hidden in her dim eyes.

"_Can I help you with something, Riddle?" _she asked, her voice even.

Riddle raised a perfect eyebrow. _"Well, I assumed we were going to the same place seeing as we have all the same classes together. I was just making my way to OUR class," _Riddle answered.

"_Well do you think that on the way to OUR class you could maybe walk a further distance from me? You're suffocating me," _Hermione said, turning away once more.

Riddle watched as Hermione walked off, an even look gracing his features. He sped up, catching up with Hermione and putting himself between her and her path. "_What's wrong with you?" _he demanded, his eyes searching her face for anything that could give away an answer to his question. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and how her cheeks looked more hallow.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "_Everything's fine, Riddle. I'm just trying to get to class. Now, would you please move out of my way?"_

"_Don't lie to me," _Riddle said, ignoring her request. _"What's wrong with you?"_

Hermione looked up at him, fiercely challenging him with her eyes to look at her face and not know the answer to that question. After a few moments, she moved around him, continuing on to her class. Riddle's eyes followed her, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Reaching the classroom, Hermione found that there were two seats left, and they were at the same table. Realizing Riddle hadn't arrived to class yet, she sighed, taking a seat at the empty table. A few moments later, Hermione heard the scratching of a chair being pulled back as Riddle took his seat next to her.

She was intent on ignoring him, pulling out her parchment and quill, ready to take notes. She stayed sitting very still, trying to focus on anything else but her own reality. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that the Professor had entered the classroom, and called for everyone's attention. Hermione was still lost in her thoughts, dreaming of the days when her, Harry, and Ron were together.

"_Everyone, everyone, PLEASE settle down!" _Professor Merrythought yelled, making Hermione jump a little. Riddle noticed this, and sent a sideways glance toward her.

"_Now, as we were talking about last week, creatures of the…" _Hermione tried to listen with all her might. She knew that just listening to the professor talk wasn't going to cut it, so she grabbed her quill, writing feverishly everything the professor said on her parchment. She was exhausted, feeling the loss of sleep from the last week crashing down on her.

She started dozing off, her head gently resting on her hand. "_I have to stay awake," _Hermione thought, lifting herself into a position that wouldn't let her doze off. Just out of her peripheral, Hermione saw Riddle subtly pass what looked like a small bottle towards her. Curious, she picked it up, realizing that a note was attached to it.

"_Drink it, it'll help you stay awake." _Hermione huffed, pushing the bottle towards Riddle again.

A few moments later, another note landed in front of her. "_What, you don't trust me?"_

"_No, I don't," _Hermione thought.

When class ended, she packed up her belongings, heading for the door. Hermione was one of the last ones to leave the classroom, and when she reached the exit, Hermione felt someone pull her arm, leading her to a private corner just outside the classroom. Hermione looked up in shock to find that Riddle was the one who grabbed her arm.

A mask of annoyance on her face, Hermione snapped at Riddle, having enough of his stalking her. "_Riddle, just say what you want from me and be done with it. I'm really not interested in being your friend, or your play toy, or your information mule. I would really appreciate it if you just left me alone. PLEASE, just leave me alone," _Hermione said, exasperated.

Riddle's eyes stormed over, giving Hermione chills down her spine. He pushed the bottle that he passed to her in class into her hands. Hermione looked down at it.

"_It's not poison. It's an energy replenishing potion. I thought you needed it." _

"_Well I don't. I've made it through a war, Riddle. I can take on a little exhaustion," _she replied, handing the bottle back to him and walking off.

On her way down to Potions, Hermione passed the boy she ran into this morning. She dropped her head, hoping to Merlin he wouldn't recognize her.

"_Hey!" _she heard him yell, and she turned around to find him jogging toward her. Hermione became uncomfortable, nervously tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he approached.

He pulled out one of her books from his bag and handed it to her. "_Uh, you forgot to pick this up this morning… I thought you would want it back. It's a very interesting read, I know for me, it would be missed," _he told her.

"_Oh, thank you," _Hermione said sincerely. "_I've been looking everywhere for this," _she said, placing it into her bag.

"_I didn't get a chance to introduce myself this morning… you ran off pretty quick." _

"_Oh… yes, I'm sorry. A lot's been going on and I was just in a rush. I assure you that I wasn't running away from you," _Hermione laughed.

"_Well that's a relief," _he laughed along. _"My name is Alphard. Alphard Black," _he said.

Hermione smiled at him. Of course! She knew he looked familiar. Alphard was Sirius's great uncle, and she could see the family resemblance. Sirius himself had been handsome, but he was no match for his great uncle.

"_I'm Hermione, Hermione Evans," _she said sweetly. Alphard smiled, taking her hand into his and placing a warm kiss on her knuckles that sent shivers through her very being.

"_It's a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Evans," _Alphard said respectfully, looking into her eyes. Just at that moment, Hermione heard her name being called.

"_Miss Evans," _she heard. She knew that voice all too well, sighing as she turned around to find Riddle standing twenty feet from them. "_Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you. He sent me to collect you," _he said.

Hermione turned around, smiling sweetly at Alphard. "_It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Black."_

Hermione turned around, heading for Riddle. "_Alright, let's go."_

Riddle put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her away from Alphard. When Hermione wasn't looking, Riddle shot Alphard a condescending look before turning back to the girl he was guiding.

As they walked further around the winding halls, Hermione became irritated. _"Where is he? Shouldn't he be in his office or something?" _she asked, irritable at being this close to Riddle.

"_No. Dumbledore isn't even in the castle, he's out on business." _Riddle replied emotionlessly.

Hermione whirled around, shocked. "_Wait, WHAT? Dumbledore isn't even in the castle? Then why'd you tell me he wanted to talk with me?"_ Hermione yelled. She was so sick of playing his games.

"_To get you away from Alphard. He can be quite the womanizer at times. Seeing as I'm a prefect and you're part of my house, I thought it best to look after you. You should stay away from him, he's not really good for you anyway," _Riddle answered.

Hermione was furious at his comment. "_Who are you to judge whether someone is good for me or not? You don't know anything about me," _Hermione said. She couldn't believe him. Ruining her sleep patterns is one thing, but intervening in her love life? That seemed a bit odd, even for him.

Riddle's eyes stormed over once more. _"Well I apologize if I was just trying to be a good friend and look out for you," _he spitted back.

Hermione stepped forward, bringing her voice down to a whisper. "_Let me make this very clear to you. We aren't friends, nor will we ever be. The only reason I'm at this school, Riddle, is because I failed in protecting my friends and family. I had no place else to go. I don't need any more friends, and I don't need your drama. Please stop acting like a school girl and just tell me what you want from me. I probably won't give it to you, but it would be nice to get it off all of our chests, don't you think?" _

Riddle stared at Hermione evenly. Suddenly, Hermione was against the wall, Riddle's wand poking dangerously in her throat. "_I don't like when I get ordered around, Miss Evans. I thought you had learned your lesson the last time, but maybe you need a little reminder."_

At that moment, Riddle trailed his wand from her neck, down her arm, and to the middle of her stomach. In just seconds, Hermione was writhing against the wall, Tom's Crucio making every single nerve in her body scream in agony.

She fought against it, but somehow he was more powerful than any other person who had rendered the curse upon her. She found it difficult to hold it back, sweat dripping down her face with the exhausting effort of the fight.

It felt like hours later before he lifted the curse, Hermione's body sweaty and aching. Tom's face formed a cruel smile, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"_Hopefully, my message came loud and clear. Don't you ever talk to me in that manner again, you filthy Mudblood." _

Hermione watched as he walked away, head held high in the air. Her blood status was no secret in this time period, but she was still hurt at the fact that he had used that word. Hermione sat against the wall, gasping for breath. She had never been more terrified in her life. Her heart beating a million miles a second, Hermione fell into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"_Hermione? Hermione."_

Hermione heard someone saying her name. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find Margaret, Hogwarts' very own mediwitch, hovering above her, shaking her awake. Through blurry vision, she could see that Margaret's blond hair was falling out of her twist, framing her youthful face as she looked down at Hermione.

"_Hermione!"_ Margaret sighed in relief, cupping the girl's cheeks with both of her hands. Hermione groaned, lifting herself off of the floor. She was in so much pain, every muscle in her body screaming with the exertion they were being put through. Margaret helped Hermione sit against the wall, concern filling her bright blue eyes.

"_Hermione, are you alright? Tell me what hurts," _Margaret said.

"_Everything," _Hermione managed to whisper.

Margaret reached into her pocket, pulling out a small bottle. She uncorked it, lifting it to Hermione's lips.

"_Drink this, it'll make you feel better," _Margaret gently said. After Hermione didn't make a move to drink the healing potion, Margaret opened her mouth, pouring the liquid in.

"_Baby you have to drink this. I swear to you, the pain will go away," _Margaret reasoned.

Hermione swallowed what was in her mouth and took the bottle from Margaret, drinking what was left of its contents. The potion spread throughout her entire body, making her feel warm and safe. Her muscles still ached, but it was much more bearable.

Hermione handed the bottle back to Margaret. _"Thank you, so much," _she said, giving the mediwitch a grateful smile.

"_Did he do this to you?" _Margaret asked, her expression even. She got her answer when Hermione averted her eyes, looking anywhere but at her.

"_Hermione," _Margaret said.

"_I'm fine, I swear. I can handle him," _Hermione finally said, her voice sounding exasperated.

"_I found you on the floor, sweaty, unconscious, and hurt. Is that what you call handling him?" _Margaret said, anger filling her eyes. "_Talk to me, Hermione. Please, just talk to me," _Margaret pleaded, her eyes growing softer.

"_I wish I could," _Hermione sobbed, finally breaking down. Tears came flowing down her face, her expression twisting into one of misery and heartbreak. She couldn't tell Margaret anything. She couldn't tell her about the time-travel, about what this boy would become in the future, or even her real last name. She was completely alone. No matter how much she wanted to vent, she wouldn't risk Margaret becoming a target for Riddle. It would only break her heart even more.

Margaret leaned forward, bringing Hermione into her arms. Hermione wrapped her arms around the kind witch, hanging on for dear life. She sobbed into her shoulder, so terrified that she was going to die. She promised herself that she would do as much as she could to change the future if it were to come to that. She hoped that a future version of herself would find her way to Harry and Ron, becoming very close friends with them like she had.

At that moment, wrapped up in Margaret's arms, Hermione fully accepted her fate. She was still terrified, that part would never go away, but she accepted that if she had to die to complete this mission, so be it. She was only in this time period for one reason, and that was to change the future. She could never grow up and have children anymore because that child should never have even existed. The timeline would be thrown off so drastically, and she couldn't risk that. She couldn't risk her future self not meeting Harry and Ron.

Hermione gently let go of Margaret, wiping her eyes as she sat back to look at her. "_I'm okay now, I promise," _Hermione said, a gentle smile forming on her face to reassure the worried witch in front of her. Margaret cupped Hermione's cheek, tears filling her eyes as a small smile graced her own features.

"_I know you are, and you always will be. You are so strong, Hermione. You're kind and beautiful, and you're ambitious. No matter what anyone does to you, the light that just shines around you never goes out. Of course, it dims at certain times, but never goes out. I'm so proud of you," _Margaret said, pulling Hermione in for another hug.

"_Thank you," _Hermione whispered sincerely, a lone tear escaping her eye.

Pulling back from Margaret, Hermione smiled before attempting to get up. Margaret aided her, wrapping her arm around Hermione's thin waist and lifting her up.

"_How do you feel?" _Margaret said, in full mediwitch mode.

"_I feel good, I really do. I'm a little hungry… but other than that, I feel good," _Hermione sighed happily. Margaret smiled, taking Hermione's hand.

"_Come, dinner hasn't started yet. We can still make it," _Margaret informed her.

Hermione wondered how long she had been out. She only had those two classes today, so she was very lucky that Riddle decided to hurt her after they ended. She HATED missing class. Hermione quietly chuckled, amused at the fact that she was more worried at the idea of missing class than Riddle having her under the Crucio curse in the corner of a hallway.

As they made their way towards the Great Hall's doors, Hermione stopped Margaret.

"_You go in first, I don't want him seeing us together. He might get the idea that I've told you something," _Hermione said.

"_Good thinking," _Margaret whispered, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze before entering the Great Hall. Hermione watched as Margaret made her way down the aisle towards the teachers' table. She peeked in, noticing how Riddle's eyes lifted to Margaret and then back down. She assumed that he was looking for her.

As soon as Margaret sat at her place at the table, Hermione walked in, head held high. She walked with purpose towards the Slytherin table, taking a seat that wasn't far from Riddle. She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored it. Beginning to pile food onto her plate, she began shoveling her food down. She hadn't eaten much in days, and she was starving.

Riddle watched Hermione pile enormous amounts of food onto her plate, his eyes not missing a move she made. She seemed happier… why, he had no clue. But he was going to figure it out, at any cost.

Hermione was so caught up in the food, that she hadn't noticed that there was not only one boy staring at her, but two. At some point, she lifted her eyes, letting them fall naturally on the Gryffindor table. She missed being in that house… missed sitting there with Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville, Dean, and even Luna. Yes, she missed Luna. Even though Luna was in Ravenclaw, she would always come and sit with the Gryffindors. She never really had a lot of friends… everyone thought she was a little strange.

Not long after her nostalgia episode she noticed a certain dark-haired Gryffindor boy staring at her. Realizing that she probably looked like a pig with the amount of food she was stuffing into her face, she awkwardly put down her fork and chewed the remnants of what was in her mouth. She put her elbow on the table, sending him an embarrassing smile and hiding half of her face.

Peeking up at him again, she saw him grinning and motioning with his head to follow him as he got up from the table and walked out of the Hall. Hermione looked around, not sure what to do. She suddenly felt so drawn to him, as if following him was her only task in the entire world. She got up, immediately dropping her napkin, and left the Great Hall to find Alphard.

When she got into the hallway, Alphard was nowhere in sight. She placed her hands on her hips, looking around everywhere. Suddenly, she felt someone tug her hand, and she jumped.

Whirling around, she saw Alphard laughing. "_Merlin, his smile is gorgeous… and that laugh," _Hermione thought. She shook out of her thoughts before she started drooling.

"_I apologize if I've frightened you," _Alphard said softly, running a hand up and down her arm as a form of comfort.

"_It's alright," _Hermione laughed. _"I had thought you had bailed on me, I couldn't find you anywhere."_

"_I wouldn't do that, never," _stated Alphard. "_I want to show you something. Come on," _Alphard said, taking Hermione's hand and leading her away from the Great Hall.

Butterflies were in her stomach, making it do flips and turns and twists. She was excited for what Alphard had to show to her, and nothing and no one could ruin the mood now. Well, maybe except one person…

Alphard led her towards the Quiddich field, gently pulling her down the steep hill. Realizing her fear of flying, Hermione gently pulled her hand out of Alphard's, looking shyly at the ground. Alphard turned, surprised at Hermione's halt. He walked over to her, hands gently rubbing her arms.

"_Hey… are you alright?" _he asked, concern evident in his tone and expression.

Hermione was embarrassed. She really didn't want to tell him. "_I uh… well I… I'm afraid… of flying," _she finally admitted, stuttering the words out as if afraid they were going to make him like her less.

To her surprise, Alphard chuckled. "_Is that why you're nervous?" _he asked. Hermione nodded, ashamed. Alphard's eyes lightened, lifting her chin up so he could look at her face.

"_There's nothing to be afraid of, alright? If you want, I'll teach you how to fly. We'll go slowly, one inch off the ground at a time," _he chuckled. "_And I'll be holding you from right behind. If you still don't want to, we'll find something else to do," _Alphard bargained.

Hermione thought about it. It would be nice to get over her fears of flying, and Alphard was offering to be patient with her so…

"_Okay, I'll do it," _she said softly, giving him a big smile. Alphard's face produced a grin that reached beyond his eyes. "_Yeah?" _he said, excited that she said yes. Normally, she would have said "no way," but something was pulling at her, pushing her to to say "YES."

"_Yeah," _she laughed, and grinned as Alphard pulled her hand again, running towards the Quiddich field. When they got to the field, she was surprised to already find a broom waiting for them.

"_Did Alphard plan this?" _Hermione thought, as he led her over to it.

"_Okay, first, we need to mount the broom," _Alphard said. He tugged on Hermione's hand, gently pulling her to the side of the broom. "_Okay now, to mount the broom, all you have to do is lift your leg over so that the broom sits between your thighs." _Hermione blushed at the mention of "between your thighs." Merlin, she needed to get a hold of herself. She got even more red when he tenderly grabbed her thigh, lifting her leg over the broom, his leg following.

The hand on her thigh stayed there for a couple of seconds, and then she felt it remove itself. She took silent deep breaths to calm herself down, and was saved when Alphard began speaking again.

"_Okay. Now, flying is very simple. All you have to do is concentrate on the broom, almost as if you're one with it. When you're flying, it's like the whole world is beneath you, and the wind whips away all of your worries and your troubles. The sky becomes your sanctuary, but only if you let it. Now, I'm going to hold on to you as soon as we push off. If you get scared, just turn around and look at me. Alright?" _Alphard said.

Hermione nodded, excited and anxious. As she felt the broom lift off of the ground, she felt Alphard's arms tighten around her waist, giving her a feeling of security she hadn't felt in such a long time. She scooted back more into his arms, enjoying the warmth that radiated off of him.

She was so caught up in his arms that she didn't notice how far they really were off of the ground. She looked down, her heartbeat automatically beating at a million miles a second.

"_Hey,"_ Alphard said, getting her attention. _"Remember, focus on the sky. Just let it in, Hermione. It'll give you the guidance you need, but only if you let it. Hey, look at me," _Alphard said, turning Hermione's head tenderly towards him. "_You're doing great," _he said.

Hermione smiled at him, leaning back into his arms. She looked down again, but she strangely wasn't afraid anymore. She felt his lips press a kiss against her forehead, and she welcomed it. She had never felt like this before. So safe, so loved.

"_You know, I never would have imagined that this day would turn around so much as to finding myself riding among the stars on a broom, facing my fears," _she stated.

"_Oh yeah? And how does it make you feel?" _Alphard asked, his voice soft and velvety as he stroked her arms, protecting her from the chilly cold air that whipped through their hair and thin clothes.

"_Wonderful," _she whispered.

After flying for a few more minutes, they landed. Alphard helped her off, holding her hands in his. "_That was… AMAZING," _Hermione said, her face forming a grin that reached her eyes. "_I've never felt that way before! It was like… it was like… I was free and… and.. and like I could do anything!" _Hermione babbled on excitedly.

Alphard chuckled at her expression. She looked like a little girl on Christmas. "_I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You were amazing at that,"_ Alphard smiled. His smile was entrancing, drawing her closer to him with every passing second.

At that moment, Hermione wasn't thinking. She stepped forward, bringing Alphard's lips down to hers. He was exceptionally tall, and she almost had to stand on tiptoes to reach him. Alphard leaned into the kiss, deepening it as he laid one hand on her waist, and tangling the other in her hair.

Hermione felt like nothing she'd ever before. She knew that this was so out of character for her, but these past few weeks have driven her to the almost point of insanity and she wanted to feel like she belonged to someone. There, as she fiercely threw herself into the kiss, her primal instinct was released, and Hermione growled. It dug up from the deepest part of her, begging to be let completely out, and Alphard possessed a wild quality that made her aching for more. She backed him up against the Quiddich bleachers, kissing him more fiercely. He flipped their positions, so that Hermione's back was against the bleachers. Their tongues battled for dominance, almost seeming like a never-ending war.

Whimpering at the lack of contact with his skin, she ripped open his shirt, buttons flying everywhere. She knew that this was going too far for having known him only a few short weeks, but she didn't care. She NEEDED him.

Running her hands over his chest, she felt that he was very well built. She basked in the endless lines of his abdomen, pulling his head deeper into the kiss. She wanted to taste more of him.

It seemed as if he felt the same way, as he pulled her shirt up over her head, revealing her in only a bra. He slid his hands down her body, moaning at the feel of Hermione's hourglass figure, riding his hands up and down as if not wanting to miss one curve of her body. He pushed her in between the bleachers, laying her down on the soft grass, settling between her legs. Feeling bold, she unbuttoned his jeans, just about to slither her hand underneath his boxers when a cold voice cut through the air.

"_What the HELL is going on here?" _

Hermione jumped, startled at the voice that cut through the air. Hermione didn't know how, but she felt as if something was wrong. The voice was acting as a barrier between her and Alphard, pushing them apart. She whimpered, not wanting to be away from him for one second.

Suddenly, Hermione snapped out of her reverie, looking around confusedly at her surroundings. She was underneath the Quiddich bleachers? How the fuck had she gotten there? She looked in front of her, noticing how Alphard Black was half dressed. Looking down at herself, she gasped at noticing that she was only in a bra, and her skirt had been half pulled off.

"_What the hell is going on here?_" Hermione demanded.

She looked up only to find Tom Riddle looking at her with confusion, but soon realization flickered in his eyes and she watched as they turned black as midnight as he turned them on Alphard. Hermione felt afraid at that moment, she's never seen him so angry before. His angry eyes were only for Alphard, as she saw him look at him with such pure hatred. She could tell he was using every ounce of willpower he could muster not to kill Alphard right then and there.

Suddenly, he grabbed Alphard's collar, throwing him against the bleacher pole. Eyes with swirling red in their depths, Tom spoke. "_What did you do to her?"_ he whispered dangerously. When Alphard didn't answer, Hermione could see Tom's lips moving, and Alphard started to cough up an enormous amount of blood.

"_I'm going to repeat this one more time, did you give her something? Answer me!" _Tom shouted. Fear most noticeably evident in his eyes, Alphard nodded, his neck covered with the blood coming up his throat.

"_If I ever see you near her again, I'll make sure the consequences will be the most severe that you've ever experienced. Am I clear?" _Tom seethed, his anger coming off of him in waves so strong it had Hermione slightly backing away.

At that moment, Tom let Alphard go, watching him run up the hill towards the castle. Hermione stood up, watching wide-eyed as Alphard looked as if he was fleeing for his life, which considering the man who just threatened him, wasn't too far off.

Tom's head whipped around to Hermione, watching as tears built up in her eyes. "_What… what h-happened?" _she stuttered.

"_He gave you something to be a little more… cooperative." _Tom answered truthfully.

"_Oh my God… did I… did I do something with him? No… no!" _Hermione was panicking now. Did she do something with him? How far had they gone?

"_Relax. I stopped you two before it went too far. You have nothing to worry about," _Tom said. Glancing down at her half naked body, he shrugged off his robe, handing it to her.

"_Put this on, I can't bring you back to the castle in that state," _Tom stated emotionlessly. As soon as Hermione put on the robe, he gestured for her to follow him. Taking off at an unbelievable speed, Hermione rushed after him.

"_Damn, he walks fast," _Hermione thought.

Walking through the hallways, she noticed that they were going up instead of down toward the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was.

"_Riddle," _she called. Hearing his name, he turned his head towards her.

"_The common room is this way," _she said matter-of-factly, raising her eyebrow as she pointed in the opposite direction than he was heading.

"_I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing. The effects of the potion he gave you may not have completely worn off. Margaret will take care of it,"_ he stated, turning around once more.

Rushing after him again, Hermione climbed the steps, trying to match his pace."_But I don't even know how he slipped me the potion in the first place. He's in a totally different House, and I believe it would be very suspicious if a Gryffindor walked over to the Slytherin table and slipped the potion in my pumpkin juice!" _Hermione said, exasperated at the thought of him slipping her the potion himself.

"_I'll find out how he did it, don't worry about it," _Tom stated, not even bothering to look at her this time. Hermione heard the finality in his voice, but she wasn't having it. Alphard may have been a prick, but something told her that he was in for a very excruciatingly painful questioning, and she knew that no one deserved that.

"_Wait, you," _she commanded, running to catch up with him. She ran around in front of him, making him screech to a stop. He looked down at her again, partially annoyed at her intervening in his path.

"_I don't care how he did it. You don't have to question him, Riddle. It's over." _She tried to throw in the sound of finality that he had done, but she knew it was a wasted effort.

"_Of course I do. If you think I'm doing it as a favor for you, you're extremely delusional. As a prefect, it is my duty to investigate the wrongdoings students commit against other students, especially against students of my own house" _he answered matter-of-factly.

"_And as a common student citizen, it is MY duty to look after the well being of the students in my house AND in other houses because that is what a good citizen does." _She was pulling things out of her ass now, trying anything to stray Riddle away from the idea of "questioning" Alphard.

Riddle raised his eyebrow in amusement. "_A common student citizen?" _

"_That's right. Looking after and speaking up in the name of fellow student citizens ever since three weeks ago. I'm so proactive, they're telling me to retire." _Hermione stated with the straightest face she could muster. She sounded like she was in a commercial, advertising her qualities and achievements.

Riddle rolled his eyes at her comment. "_God forbid your services of three weeks go to waste. What's one more?" _

"_Exactly!" _Hermione stated happily. "_So I was thinking, how about you let me handle it? As a common student citizen, I have a…. connection with the student body and will most likely get answers more easily out of them than you can." _

"_Oh I highly doubt that," _Riddle stated. Looking at the angry warning expression that crossed her face, Riddle raised his eyebrow. Rolling his eyes, he gave in.

"_Fine. You question Black, but don't be surprised when you don't get anything out of him," _Riddle said as he went around her to continue walking.

Hermione turned, following him. "_Oh, I'll get something out of him. Don't you worry about that,"_ she said, her eyes glinting mischievously.

As they reached the Hospital Wing, Riddle opened the door, gesturing for Hermione to go in first. Margaret came out of her office, hearing the door opening.

"_Hermione!" _Margaret exclaimed. She glanced at Riddle and then at the oversized robes covering her body. "_My dear, what happened?"_

Just as she opened her mouth to explain, Riddle stepped in.

"_Madam, we had an incident. Miss Evans here fell victim to a lust potion slipped to her by a very impertinent boy in Gryffindor house. I took her here to ask if you could make sure that the potion has efficiently left her system," _Tom explained, using his most respectful and innocent voice.

"_Alphard?" _Margaret asked, turning towards Hermione disappointed.

"_I know, what a shame," _Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders.

"_He better watch out… Hermione has a fiery personality that shouldn't be messed with. I've seen it!" _she told Tom. Hermione could tell that she was throwing in hints towards him.

Smiling, Margaret wrapped an arm around Hermione, leading her over to a bed. Riddle followed, keeping a close distance so he could see what was going on. "_Are you naked under that?"_ Margaret asked, gesturing to the oversized robe that covered her body.

Hermione shook her head. "_Nope, just my bra. I don't know where my shirt went." _Come to think of it, she really didn't know. She'll have to go to the Quiddich field tomorrow and look for it.

"_Alright well, I'm going to need you to take it off dear. I can't decipher what's in your body if there's clothing in the way," _Margaret said.

Sighing, Hermione removed the robe, leaving her in the black lace bra that she was wearing. Tom allowed himself a few seconds to admire her. Her breasts were a nice size for a girl her age, and she had an hourglass figure that most girls would die for.

He watched as Margaret made Hermione stand up, pointing her wand at Hermione's stomach. Hermione looked down, watching as the spell illuminated her insides. She didn't know what to look for, but apparently Margaret did.

After a few minutes of examining Hermione, Margaret set her wand down, handing Hermione Tom's robe again to cover herself up.

"_Well, it looks like you're clean my dear. Judging from the way you look, the potion was in effect only an hour ago. I'm surprised I didn't find any remnants of the potion left. Usually lust potions last all night… if you know what I mean," _Margaret informed her, amazed.

Hermione was severed from her thoughts when Tom spoke again.

"_Thank you for all your help, Madam," _Tom said.

"_It was no bother at all, Mr. Riddle. Anything to help Hermione." _Turning towards Hermione, she gathered her in her arms, giving her a tight hug.

"_Take care of yourself, sweetheart. I worry about you. You're very lucky Tom here showed up when he did,"_ Margaret said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "_You sleep well, alright? Come back if you feel any need to shag that awful boy." _

Hermione burst out laughing, causing Margaret to do the same. "_I will,"_ she laughed.

Turning back around, she headed for the door, Riddle right behind her. As they arrived at the portrait door, he moved around her to walk in front, but Hermione again stepped in front of him.

"_You,"_ she stated.

"_Yes?" _he raised his eyebrow, curious as to what she wanted this time.

"_You did something, didn't you?" _she asked.

"_I have no idea what you're talking about, as usual," _Riddle said.

"_You did a spell. A spell that lifted the potion from my system. You were curious as if it worked, so you took me to Margaret to confirm if it did or not." _

Hermione saw the dangerous glint in his eyes, but she held her ground. She stared at him evenly, waiting for his response. Suddenly, Tom's face formed into a smile. It wasn't a warm smile, not even one of his fake ones. It was more sadistic, and Hermione became terrified.

Suddenly, Tom's right hand shot out, grabbing the hair on the side of her head and violently swung her against the stone wall. Hermione let out a gasp of shock, watching as Tom stared at her malevolently, that smile still on his face.

_"I'd be careful what you say, Miss Evans. You never know when your words will push someone over the edge, so I suggest you learn to keep your dirty Mudblood mouth shut. Your kind shouldn't even exist, so consider it a mercy the Wizarding World lets you live. If I ever hear you speak proudly against me again, I'll make sure that the little life you live, will be one from hell." _Tom seethed. Hermione could feel the anger boiling off of him, but yet that smile still stayed in place. It terrified her to every extent, and she fought back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Tom roughly let go of her hair, throwing her head back against the wall before walking into the portrait hole. Hermione fought to control her emotions, sliding down the wall as the tears spilled down her cheeks. She was tired of being pushed around by everyone, the men here especially. She needed to be stronger, more alert. She looked up at the hole Tom Riddle disappeared through, hate filling every aspect of her eyes. She would not get caught off guard, not anymore. Starting now, she would painfully see to it that Tom Marvolo Riddle pay.


End file.
